Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images
Last week, “Page Six” published photos that appeared to show New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini, the top pro-football reporter at “The Athletic,” holding hands at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona. Russini, who was previously an anchor at ESPN, has held the title of senior NFL insider at the New York Times–owned sports publication since 2023. In the photos, Vrabel and Russini — who are both married to other people — seemingly hugged while taking in the sunset and were also pictured lounging together in the pool, with one source claiming to have seen them enjoying breakfast together.
Both Russini and Vrabel denied anything was going on romantically between them. “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini told “Page Six.” “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.” Vrabel, meanwhile, told the outlet the photos of them “show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
Another source told “Page Six” that Russini went to the resort as part of a hiking trip with two female friends, while a friend of Vrabel’s said he and Vrabel drove to Sedona for the day and stayed at a different hotel after hanging out with Russini and her friends. Even Russini’s boss, “The Athletic”’s executive director, Steven Ginsberg, defended his star reporter, saying the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” “These were public interactions in front of many people,” Ginsberg said. “Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at ‘The Athletic.’”
By Saturday, however, “The Athletic” seemed a little less confident. The New York Times — which owns “The Athletic” — reported that the publication is now investigating Russini’s conduct. Top bosses at the sports publication are reportedly reviewing her relationship with Vrabel, as well as her work, and said she will not be reporting during the course of the investigation.
Vrabel, meanwhile, skipped the Patriots’ pre-draft press conference on Monday, which he conducted last year, per ESPN. In his place, the Patriots’ VP of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, told reporters that Vrabel has been “very involved” with player evaluations this past week, adding that things are “business as usual. He’s been in there with us a little more than he was last year.”
The Cut has reached out to representatives for Vrabel and Russini and will update this post if we hear back. “The Athletic” declined to comment.
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