Married NFL Reporter Dianna Russini Resigns After Photo Scandal with Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel
The Athletic reporter was seen with the NFL coach at an Arizona resort in photos published last week
Mike Vrabel; Dianna Russini Credit: Dylan Buell/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty NEED TO KNOW The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini is resigning from her job, after photos were published that showed her with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she began in a statement to her employer, obtained by the AP Russini and Vrabel have denied any wrongdoing Dianna Russini has resigned from her job at The Athletic, one week after published photos showed her hugging and holding hands with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. Russini, a longtime NFL reporter, announced she would leave the outlet on Tuesday, April 14 in a letter sent to Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg and obtained by the Associated Press . “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she wrote, per the AP.
“When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. ” She continued, “In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.
” Dianna Russini interviewing Jared Goff in Dec. 2025 Credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty Russini concluded, “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.
Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career. ” In seven photos published by the New York Post on Tuesday, April 7, Russini, 43, was seen interacting with Vrabel, 50, at the Ambiente Sedona resort in Arizona.