Dianna Russini's return to the NFL is approaching: A friend reveals the truth behind her scandal with Mike Vrabel
Russini could return to sports media in a new role after leaving The Athletic earlier this year
Dianna Russini’s return to the NFL media landscape could be closer than expected, with some of her former colleagues suggesting that her football career may continue despite the controversy that brought an abrupt end to her time at The Athletic.
Russini resigned from the outlet in April after photographs emerged showing her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
The images, including photographs from an adults-only resort in Arizona, sparked questions about the nature of their relationship. Additional pictures later surfaced that appeared to show the pair kissing at a New York bar in March 2020, while other images placed them together at a Mississippi casino in January 2024.
The controversy attracted widespread attention because Vrabel was still coaching the Tennessee Titans during part of the period in question, while Russini was reporting on him for ESPN.
Both initially denied being unfaithful to their spouses. Vrabel later apologized for his “actions” but didn’t specifically acknowledge an affair.
Russini ultimately decided to leave The Athletic before her contract expired. In her departure statement, she strongly defended her professional record and argued that speculation surrounding the photographs had moved beyond what could actually be established as fact.
Former colleagues see a future for Russini in sports media
Mike Silver, who worked with Russini at The Athletic, has now offered an encouraging prediction about what could come next. Speaking on The Tom Talbot Show, Silver described Russini as a close friend and praised the journalism they produced together.
Silver said he believes Russini will return to the football world, although he doesn’t expect her to immediately resume her previous role as an NFL insider.
“Really, really proud of the journalism we did together and honestly just really bummed that we don’t get to continue it because we worked really well together,” said Silver .
“And I do think she’s going to be back, probably not as an insider, at least in the short term. But I think she’ll be back in this realm, probably talking about football and other things pretty soon.”
He also said Russini and her family are doing better, while making it clear that he didn’t want to contribute to the speculation surrounding the controversy.
Matthew Berry has similarly kept the possibility of a comeback alive. Russini’s former ESPN colleague was recently asked whether he’d consider hiring her at Fantasy Life, the fantasy-football media company he leads.
Berry called Russini a friend and described her as “really, really talented” and good on air. He also recalled her professionalism during their ESPN years, saying she consistently arrived prepared, energetic and ready to perform, while maintaining strong relationships with producers.
However, Berry explained that bringing Russini to Fantasy Life would depend on whether there was a suitable role.
Unlike ESPN or The Athletic, the company isn’t primarily focused on breaking NFL news. Any position would therefore likely require Russini to produce fantasy-focused content designed to help users with their leagues, betting and daily fantasy sports.
Berry also emphasized that any hiring decision would come down to business considerations, including whether a potential employee could attract audiences and ultimately help generate subscriptions.
