Since the NFL preseason got underway, the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal hasn’t been a major talking point across the NFL. With the focus returning to the action on the field, the headlines have died down a bit.
However, fans are still awaiting the results of The Athletic’s investigation into their former employee and her reporting on Vrabel. However, recent news about The Athletic potentially partnering with the NFL has raised concerns about what that means for the internal probe.
The Athletic Might Not Be Able to Investigate Dianna Russini Properly
The scandal broke when Vrabel and Russini were photographed together at a resort in Arizona. The pair was spotted hugging, holding hands, and lounging by the pool.
In the weeks and months after, the story spread like wildfire across the internet, as it became a tabloid circus and fans went back through past interviews, social-media posts, photographs, and even Spotify playlists. Russini resigned from The Athletic, and Vrabel stepped away from the New England Patriots on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to attend counseling alongside his family.
The Athletic launched an internal probe to determine whether Russini’s reporting was affected by her alleged relationship with the Patriots’ head coach. However, it was recently reported by Front Office Sports that the NFL and The Athletic have discussed an expanded partnership in which the outlet’s content would run on the league’s digital platforms.
Armando Salguero of OutKick points out that this conflict of interest would raise major questions about the Russini investigation.
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“The Athletic is presumably in the throes of this conflict of interest investigation of a former reporter with an NFL coach while at the same time engaging in talks to enter into a conflict of interest situation with the NFL. Got it,” he wrote.
“That raises a sizeable inconsistency. The Athletic is presumably investigating Russini for possibly engaging in a questionable relationship with an NFL coach at a time it is weighing whether to get in bed with the NFL.”
Salguero called into question the strict editorial guidelines that govern The Athletic’s staff, including Russini when she was employed there. One could argue that this agreement would violate those conflict-of-interest rules.
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“So will The Athletic, on the one hand trying to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, allow an affiliation with the NFL that violates its own guidelines by calling into question its credibility?” he asked.
The partnership with the NFL could complicate those guidelines, especially as they investigate the alleged affair of a head coach in the league, who has already admitted to having tough conversations with his family and team and entered counseling in the aftermath of the scandal.
Others have questioned whether The Athletic will even release the findings of the Russini investigation if the partnership with the NFL is finalized.
While Vrabel has held multiple press conferences, Russini has yet to break her silence and address the scandal aside from her initial statement and resignation letter. She has deleted her social media accounts and appears poised for a career pivot, as she recently referred to herself as a “former journalist” in leaked text messages with a reporter from The New York Times.
