NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.
The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the NFL owners meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29.
“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,” Russini said in a letter sent Tuesday to Athletic Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg and obtained by The Associated Press.
https://apnews.com/article/russini-vrabel-0e0006364d9d31f8e0fec65ecfb937c0
New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel and top NY Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini hold hands and hug at luxury hotel https://t.co/kgk6uoumOU pic.twitter.com/J2dtb6HuyA
— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2026
Exclusive photos obtained by Page Six appear to show the New England Patriots‘ head coach Mike Vrabel and the New York Times’ top NFL reporter holding hands and hugging at a luxurious hotel.