Dianna Russini appears to be preparing for a return to sports media five months after leaving The Athletic, and one familiar landing spot has emerged as the early favorite.
Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reported Thursday that Russini is “absolutely” planning a comeback and has discussed multiple opportunities. The roles reportedly range from traditional NFL insider work to more personality-driven media, but one company currently stands above the rest.
Barstool Sports Emerges as Favorite for Dianna Russini
“The lead candidate to hire Russini, I’m hearing, is Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Sports,” McCarthy wrote in the FOS report.
The fit would not exactly require introductions. Russini has appeared repeatedly on Barstool’s Pardon My Take and is friends with hosts Dan “Big Cat” Katz and PFT Commenter. Her most recent listed appearance on the show came during the 2026 NFL Combine in February, when she joined the crew for nearly an hour to discuss league news.
There is also a fairly important piece of evidence that Barstool would actually be interested in: Portnoy already said so.
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Asked about potentially hiring Russini in June, Portnoy told Us Weekly it would be a “no-brainer” if she wanted to join the company. He also said the allegations surrounding Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel would not automatically end her professional career.
“That’s not like a capital offense that should end somebody’s professional career,” Portnoy said.
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Front Office Sports reported that Russini has not made a final decision, so Barstool should be viewed as the reported favorite rather than a completed deal.
Fox Sports Radio host Jon “Stugotz” Weiner has also publicly said Russini would have a place on his show whenever she wanted to return.
The Athletic’s Investigation Could Clear a Path Back
The timing of the report is notable because The Athletic released the findings of its lengthy internal review Thursday.
The outlet concluded Russini’s personal relationship with Vrabel should have been disclosed and was in “clear violation” of its standards. At the same time, the review found “scant evidence” that the relationship affected her reporting and said most of her work involving Vrabel or his teams did not raise concerns.
Russini resigned on April 14 after photos of her and Vrabel prompted scrutiny of their alleged relationship and her reporting. Both had publicly characterized the relationship as platonic, and The Athletic said its full nature remains unknown.
Russini spent eight years at ESPN before joining The Athletic in 2023 and became one of the NFL’s most recognizable insiders. If her next move really is Barstool, it would give the company an established newsbreaker who already knows its biggest personalities and has shown she can operate comfortably inside its less traditional format.
For Portnoy, apparently, the hiring pitch was never the complicated part; the only question is whether Russini wants the job.
