One of the biggest surprises in the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal has been the lack of media coverage. Most major outlets, starting with ESPN, have steered clear of the story, despite it becoming one of the most shocking developments of the offseason.
Both parties have faced repercussions, but they haven’t been under constant scrutiny from sport’s biggest voices. For one veteran reporter, that change isn’t reflective of his time, as he called out the Boston media in general.
Boston Media’s Coverage of Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Gets Questioned
Mike Felger, who covered the New England Patriots for 19 years at the Boston Herald, recently discussed Vrabel’s controversial situation on the “Awful Announcing Podcast.” He said that covering such gossip is “a tough spot” for the beat reporters, but that media outlets should have a dedicated team to follow a big story like this.
“The outlets don’t even have the guy or the girl or the columnist or the reporter anymore to go cover it,” Felger said. “And that’s what disappoints me the most. Do you want to sell the newspaper? Do you want people to watch the news? These outlets and these mediums are struggling, do you want to sell the newspaper or not? I sort of wonder if they even want to sell it anymore, because it doesn’t feel that way a lot of times.”
He wasn’t done, though, over what he called the entire “predictable” cycle. “It’s kind of sad, and I don’t know if it speaks to Boston as a market that we’re a little soft, maybe. But I think it speaks to more of the de-staffing of local traditional media outlets… it’s also just not the mindset… I don’t know if these places have the same mentality. I think they’re just hanging on for dear life and have sort of dropped the thing about getting the story. And that’s sad. That’s sad to me as someone who values and still deals in traditional media.”
As a result, Vrabel has made multiple appearances since the scandal first became public, but hasn’t faced many questions from the media directly. That hasn’t taken away from consequences for the two, though.
Since the pictures from Arizona first went public, the story has spread like wildfire. From errant interview moments to suspicious old posts on X, tampering allegations, and even an alleged Spotify playlist, the internet has caught on to the story.
As a result, both parties have faced serious repercussions. For Russini, that meant stepping down from her role at The Athletic. On the other hand, Vrabel has admitted to some “difficult conversations” with his family and the Patriots organization.
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Moreover, he began seeking counseling on the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft, stepping away from the team during a pivotal time in the offseason. As a result, even without the media scrutiny, the two aren’t walking away from the entire ordeal unscathed.
But Felger’s argument about the media could shine a spotlight directly on Boston media.
