Photos circulating through social media were just the tip of the iceberg. But the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini pairing has caused quite a scandal. While both parties are dealing with the repercussions, a new story seems to come out every day.
The latest in that saga seems to be a potential tampering issue. Given their standings, Vrabel with the New England Patriots, and Russini as one of the prominent reporters for The Athletic, the two may have accidentally revealed a case of tampering from last season.
Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini May Have Been Tampering Together
The entire story came about as a result of Chicago Bears beat writer Erik Lambert being vigilant on social media. Last year, he noticed a discrepancy in the news coverage of Morgan Moses between Russini and others.
At the time, Lambert wrote, “For those who didn’t catch my meaning. Russini posted this yesterday, then deleted it before the tampering window opened. She knew Moses was going to NE, meaning the Patriots were already negotiating before they were allowed.”
He provided evidence alongside his breakdown, with the post from Russini clearly showing the Patriots logo even before he had officially entered the free agent market. Ultimately, Moses did sign with the Patriots on a three-year, $24 million deal.
He immediately became a vital piece for the offense, finishing as the second-best offensive lineman on the team, and No. 25 overall, per PFSN’s Player Offensive Line Impact Metric. But the initial reveal from Russini has now taken on a new meaning.
Even Lambert was left stunned by his discovery, pointing back to his initial assessment and writing, “Wow. I completely forgot about this. Signs were already there.” If this story has some meat on the bone, then the NFL could potentially enter the scene.
So far, it has stayed out of the entire ordeal, with no punishments or consequences for either of the two from their end. Instead, Russini has stepped down from her role at The Athletic of her own volition.
On the other hand, Vrabel alluded to some “hard conversations” with the Patriots organization and his family in the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft. Additionally, he was also seeking therapy, forcing him to miss the third day.
However, so far, there hasn’t been any verdict from the NFL regarding the two. But if the accusation of tampering is true, they could face severe consequences. The tampering window is taken very seriously by the league.
As a result, any fix around that might not be taken too kindly, with any possible punishment on the board for Vrabel and/or the Patriots franchise as a whole.
