New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel emerged largely unscathed from the scandal involving former NFL insider Dianna Russini that dominated the news cycle during the NFL offseason. Aside from missing Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Vrabel is preparing for his second season in New England even as questions about the Russini scandal linger.
Tony Farmer Skeptical of NFL’s Latest Move Amid Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Scandal
This week, a report by “Front Office Sports” revealed that the NFL and The Athletic were considering a joint venture. The move comes after the league sold the NFL Network to ESPN, and the league is seeking to boost its online content.
The Athletic got permission to use NFL game footage on its site last year, and one suggestion is that content from the former would appear on NFL+ and NFL.com.
During Friday’s segment of “The Fehoko Show,” podcaster Tony Farmer was skeptical about the timing of the NFL’s speculated move to buy Russini’s former employer, The Athletic.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
“The NFL is essentially trying to buy The Athletic right now; think about that,” Farmer said. “The NFL already owns 10% of ESPN, and now The Athletic is doing this investigation, which can cause incredible harm to the NFL if it contains what I think it might contain, and the NFL is just going to try to buy The Athletic. Is that a coincidence? Maybe. But it looks pretty suspect if you ask me.
“Now, going back to Mike Vrabel real quick. I think he’s gonna come out of this clean, because I think Mike Vrabel is protected. But you’re a player in the NFL, you know all about the personal conduct policy and the head coaches need to abide by it as well. There’s a line in it that says, ‘You can’t undermine the integrity of the league.’”
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
Farmer further questioned the ethics of Vrabel’s affair with Russini and whether the Patriots coach benefited from the relationship.
“I would just ask fans out there to consider everything that we know that Mike Vrabel did do. Being this close with Dianna Russini, lying about being that close with Dianna Russini by calling it laughable. The whole Coach of the Year voter angle. I’m curious whether Vrabel got extra money in his contract for winning COTY, just like players have incentives?” Farmer questioned.
Tony Farmer @Tonysmarkettips Reveals The NFL Is Attempting To Buy The Athletic Amid The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Scandal… 👀😳
Subscribe to The FEHOKO Show With @BreidenFehoko On Youtube! pic.twitter.com/e82MVJ3Mws
— The Fehoko Show (@TheFehokoShow) August 22, 2026
The Vrabel-Russini issue blew up when Page Six published intimate pictures of the pair holding hands at an adults-only resort in Arizona in April. After initially denying any wrongdoing, Russini resigned from her high-paying job at The Athletic.
When more pictures of the couple allegedly kissing at a New York City bar in 2020 were published, fans and analysts were shocked by the alleged relationship’s timeline. Questions were raised about the ethics of the relationship and possible tampering.
Several notable personalities, including Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, have called out the major networks for trying to shelve the Russini-Vrabel story.
The NFL cleared the Patriots coach, and Vrabel will attempt to repeat last year’s heroics in New England when his team fell just short of a Super Bowl title.
