Dianna Russini 'in negotiations for comeback' months after Mike Vrabel scandal

Joshua MbuMon, September 14, 2026 at 11:45 AM UTC

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Dianna Russini is planning a comeback to sports media following her recent Mike Vrabel scandal -Credit:Getty Images

Dianna Russini is planning a comeback just months after resigning from The Athletic following her scandal with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

The controversy surrounding NFL coach Vrabel and NFL reporter Russini erupted in April after photos showed the pair together at a resort in Arizona. Both denied that the images suggested a romantic relationship, but further pictures later emerged, appearing to show them kissing at a New York City bar in 2020.

Russini resigned from The Athletic days after the initial images surfaced, while Vrabel remained in his role as Patriots head coach, where he led the team to Super Bowl LX, which the team lost to the Seattle Seahawks earlier this year.

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The fallout intensified in September when The Athletic concluded that Russini’s undisclosed relationship with Vrabel was a clear breach of its editorial standards, although investigators found no clear evidence that she used her reporting to benefit him professionally.

Vrabel has since said he has “moved on”, while Russini is reportedly considering a return to sports media. According to Front Office Sports, Russini has been in discussions about several new job opportunities.

Russini and Vrabel also became a talking point in Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ recent explosive podcast appearance.

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Rodgers, a one-time Super Bowl winner and four-time NFL MVP, dove into the criticism of ESPN over its reporting on Russini-Vrabel on his teammate Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" podcast.

Russini is a well-known NFL reporter -Credit:Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

“I also said you're a gutless organization because they haven’t said anything. They spend so much time on certain issues but you won’t talk one second on the Dianna Russini situation. What just happened?” Rodgers fumed.

“Let’s see the owner of the 49ers solicited a prostitute for $140 in Ohio. That literally was the number one topic when you click on ESPN.com.

"They will rotate the eight stories or whatever they have but they usually have like the one story that's featured.

“That was the featured story. So you bring in how many millions of eyes to that situation. Why do you want to throw Jed York under the bus.

Russini stepped down from her job at The Athletic over the scandal -Credit:Getty

“But does that have the same effect as a reporter whose you know has intimate relations with a coach who has a vote for MVP, has a vote for coach of the year? I don't know if she's on the Hall of Fame or not but there's voting stuff.”

As for Vrabel, he continues to focus on the task at hand in New England. The Patriots are hoping to maintain a strong presence in the NFL after losing last season’s Super Bowl to the Seahawks.

However, in their Week 1 clash against the Seahawks, the Patriots blew a golden opportunity to get revenge. The Seahawks lost franchise quarterback Sam Darnold early on but still ran out 13-10 winners.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”