The 2026 NFL offseason has featured plenty of controversies, and none were bigger than the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal. However, quite a few NFL media members have refused to discuss the Russini-Vrabel saga.
Now, with the football world’s attention shifting to an alleged scam involving a fake San Francisco 49ers player named Daejon Love, one podcaster is calling out journalists who are covering that story while refusing to touch the Russini and Vrabel situation.
NFL Podcaster Calls Out Media Covering Daejon Love While Ignoring Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel Scandal
Using various dating apps, Love allegedly passed himself off as a member of the 49ers and scammed a number of women out of nearly $1.3 million.
As a result, he is the subject of a federal investigation, and the story has caught everyone’s attention. But for NFL podcaster Tony Farmer, the media’s coverage of the wild story has exposed a brutal double standard.
“The same people who commented, ‘Who cares?’ and ‘What does this have to do with football?’ and ‘You’re only doing it for the clicks’ when I was reporting on a COTY voter and head coach, are now making the Daejon Love story viral,” Farmer wrote on X.
“The hypocrisy is glaring. I considered calling people out one at a time, but just know the hypocrisy is noticed.”
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It’s hard not to see his point. The same media members who have stayed silent on the alleged affair between Russini and Vrabel are suddenly commenting on the Love situation.
The Russini-Vrabel scandal broke back in April when they were photographed together at a resort in Arizona. The pair was spotted hugging, holding hands, and lounging by the pool.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Vrabel admitted to tough conversations with his family and members of the New England Patriots organization while also entering counseling that caused him to miss the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Back in April, Russini resigned from her role at The Athletic and has been relatively AWOL since the story first broke. The Athletic is currently investigating Russini’s reporting, but it’s unclear when the internal probe will conclude.
Others have questioned whether The Athletic will even release the findings of the Russini investigation since the outlet is reportedly in talks to enter an expanded partnership in which its content would run on the league’s digital platforms.
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.
While the Russini-Vrabel scandal seems to have died down, the Love saga is just getting started. He was arrested by federal authorities for allegedly defrauding more than two dozen women, and he has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
