Where is Dianna Russini now? Where former NFL insider stands after Mike Vrabel controversy

Earlier in the spring, former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini and Page Six shook the NFL and sports world after a report released the depicted Russini with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel outside together at a hotel.

While some believed this could have just been a reporter talking with a source, the vast majority of the sports world believed that the two were hanging out with more romantic undertones; the latter's noise became so loud that Russini resigned from her post at The Athletic a week after the original report was released.

Things died down regarding the whole debacle after the NFL Draft and through the summer. Despite the quieted noise, Russini still has yet to pick up the reins at a new sports media organization or through a platform of her own.

Here's the rundown on where Russini is heading into a new edition of the NFL season.

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Where is Dianna Russini now?

The clock continues to count down until the 2026-27 NFL season's opening kickoff. For now, Russini has not officially been signed with another news company, podcast, or any media group. There have, however, been rumors stating that the former The Athletic reporter has been seeking new opportunities.

According to Front Office Sports, Russini is "absolutely" planning a return to sports media. The lead candidate to hire Russini is allegedly Barstool Sports. The media personality has reportedly had discussions about some job opportunities ahead of Week 1, though the clock is ticking to get a new role before Seattle and New England get the new campaign started. 

Fox Sports Radio host Jon “Stugotz” Weiner also invited Russini, a friend of his, to join his show. “I am not a mouthpiece for Dianna Russini. I am simply saying, it’s her story to tell, it’s not my story, and I am simply going to support my friend,” Weiner said on his show back in May. “I did say if The Athletic fired her, I would hire her. They didn’t fire her. She stepped down from The Athletic, and the offer holds forever. If Dianna Russini decides one day, three months from now, a year from now, two years from now, that she wants to get back into this game, she has a place right here.”

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Why was Dianna Russini fired?

Russini was not formally fired, however, on April 14, she made the first move to resign from her duties at The Athletic.

Russini released a resignation letter on her X, formerly Twitter, account that has since been deleted. Here is a look at her full resignation from The Athletic:

Please accept this letter as my resignation from The Athletic, effective immediately. I have come to this decision with deep sadness but with clarity about what is right for me, my family, and the work I have spent my career building.

You and I have already publicly addressed the recent attacks against me, and I have nothing to add publicly to what we have said. 

I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. 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. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.

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.

Over a career spanning more than fifteen years in sports journalism — at NBC, ESPN, and The Athletic — I have built a body of work I am proud of. I have broken stories, earned the trust of sources across the league, and been guided by the highest of standards of professional conduct. That record speaks for itself.

I remain grateful to The Athletic and for the extraordinary colleagues with whom I have worked there, for the platform it provided, and for the support you showed me during this difficult time. I wish you nothing but continued success.

Sincerely,

Dianna Russini

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Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel controversy, explained

In the beginning of April, a Page Six report included photos of Vrabel and Russini "holding hands and hugging at a luxurious hotel."

The Patriots head coach and longtime NFL reporter had reportedly been seen "two weekends ago," around mid-late March, at the Ambiente in Sedona, Ariz. Sources told Page Six in the report that Vrabel and Russini "had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant," then spent "a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side-by-side in a hot tub." Additionally, later that evening, the two were seen together "on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows."

In the photos, Vrabel and Russini could be seen hugging, holding hands and lying together by the hotel pool. Vrabel and Russini both denied having any relationship beyond friendship in their statements to Page Six.

After Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14, roughly a week after Page Six's original report was published, with reports and photos depicting a potential romantic relationship with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, The Athletic opened an internal investigation into her reporting for the company and whether it violated newsroom standards.

On Thursday, shortly before the dawn of the 2026 NFL season, Mike Semel, the company's Editorial Director for Standards and Quality, and The Athletic released its findings. They found that "Russini's relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic's standards," though she showed no clear bias in her reporting due to that relationship.

The company said it reviewed 903 stories and 77 videos published with Russini's byline in its investigation, plus 204 podcast episodes and 25 off-platform appearances from Russini and interviews with various employees. 

"Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed," the company said in its release. "The photographs published by Page Six on April 7 and April 23 and by TMZ on April 23 indicate a relationship that puts The Athletic’s credibility in jeopardy and gives the appearance of a conflict of interest."

The Athletic also provided a timeline of Russini's exit, sharing that she first reached out to company executives on Apr. 7 to inform them of an impending article that "would suggest a romantic relationship between Russini and Mike Vrabel." She "acknowledged a close relationship with Vrabel" but emphasized that the relationship was "strictly professional," and The Athletic initially supported her "as it began an internal investigation of the allegations."

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