The NFL’s latest controversy escalated quickly.
One week after the New York Post published photos of The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort, Russini resigned.
Russini’s resignation marked something of an end to a week-long saga that began with the New York Post’s Page Six exclusive published on April 7.
Immediately after the New York Post’s publication of the photos, which appeared to show Russini and Vrabel embracing and holding hands at the adults-only resort, many questioned Russini’s journalistic ethics. An initial statement from The Athletic backed Russini, with executive editor Steven Ginsberg writing that the photos had been taken out of context.
Later, Front Office Sports reported that The Athletic was reopening its investigation into the NFL insider. Before her employer reached any conclusion, Russini resigned.
The full extent of the fallout from the controversy is still to be determined. The Athletic announced it will continue investigating Russini’s work with the outlet. Whether Vrabel will face any further blowback remains unclear.
USA Today Sports lays out the full timeline of events that led up to Russini’s resignation on April 14.
March 27
Vrabel attends Arizona State’s pro day in Tempe, Arizona. He is one of many NFL officials at the Sun Devils’ event, with Logan Stanley of the Arizona Republic reporting that 31 of 32 teams are represented.
March 28
Vrabel and Russini meet at the Ambiente, an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona.
A photographer captures Vrabel and Russini holding hands and embracing on the rooftop overlooking Sedona’s Red Rocks. Other pictures show the head coach and the NFL insider lounging side by side by the resort’s pool and in its hot tub. Page Six later reports that the two also have breakfast together the morning of March 28.
March 29
The NFL’s annual league meeting begins at the Arizona Biltmore hotel in Phoenix.
Vrabel attends the conference as one of the Patriots’ representatives. Russini is also present at the league meeting as a media member for The Athletic.
April 2
The Athletic publishes a list of takeaways from the league meeting, with Russini credited as one of two writers on the piece. Vrabel is referenced in the second graf of the story, noting that the Patriots’ head coach participated in live drills against Arizona State prospects at their pro day less than one week earlier.
April 7
The New York Post publishes the photos of Vrabel and Russini taken at the Ambiente in Sedona on March 28.
Vrabel tells the outlet, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini also speaks to the New York Post, saying she and Vrabel were just two members of a larger group present at the Ambiente.
She says, “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
Ginsberg, the executive editor of The Athletic, says in a statement to the New York Post, “These photos are misleading and lack essential context. 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.”
Additionally, Russini’s last byline at The Athletic appears on the outlet’s website. The piece is one written off a report by the NFL insider that Indiana quarterback and presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
April 10
Front Office Sports reports that The Athletic is reopening its investigation into Russini and her reporting. According to Front Office Sports, Russini’s employer plans to sideline her from any further reporting until the investigation is over.
April 13
The Patriots hold their pre-draft press conference, which Vrabel was not scheduled to attend despite speaking at the event the previous year.
Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf tells reporters that the team’s head coach has been “very involved” with player evaluations ahead of the draft at the end of the month.
“Business as usual. He’s been in there with us a little more than he was last year,” Wolf says.
No reporter asks any further pressing questions about Vrabel in relation to the controversy with Russini.
April 14
Russini resigns from The Athletic.
The NFL insider posts a screenshot of her letter of resignation — in which she references the recent controversy as “attacks against me” — on social media website X.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she writes. “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.”
According to The Guardian’s Jeremy Barr, Ginsberg confirms in a Slack message that The Athletic’s standards editor, Mike Semel, will continue to investigate Russini’s reporting during her time at The New York Times-owned outlet. Ginsberg also addresses The Athletic’s change in response from its initial defense of Russini.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” he writes in a leaked Slack message, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.”
Story by Jack McKessy, USA Today. USA Today Network via Reuters.
