A week after pictures of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel were published in the New York Post insinuating a potentially inappropriate relationship, Dianna Russini resigned from her position Tuesday as senior NFL insider at The Athletic.
Russini posted her resignation letter on social media.
I submitted my letter of resignation to The Athletic. Everything I have to say about it is below. pic.twitter.com/401nrtbEsj
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 14, 2026
“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,” Russini said in her letter addressed to executive editor Steven Ginsburg.
Russini Initially Pushed Back On Report
Originally after the photos were released, both Russini and Ginsburg told the Post that the pictures did not convey the full context of what was going on.
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsburg said to the Post. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at the Athletic.”
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini explained initially. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
But The Athletic announced they would conduct an investigation and pull their senior NFL insider off her beat. That continued to fuel speculation that her relationship was not fully on the up-and-up.
“I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept,” Russini said in her resignation. “Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step away now — before my 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.”
