The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini situation continues to dominate headlines and capture the public’s attention. The scandal doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, especially since new information continues to surface every few days.
On Wednesday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared his honest feelings on the controversy and the public fallout for the New England Patriots head coach and former The Athletic reporter.
Ian Rapoport Reacts To Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Controversy
Many NFL media members are uncomfortable about the Vrabel-Russini scandal. Rapoport is one of the most prominent voices in NFL media, and he was candid about the situation.
“Watching it play out in public has been really sad. I’ve seen this in other walks of life and in other sort of like celebrities or important people, I’ve never really seen it with people that I know, and it’s really different and like not good and sad and just like all around,” Rapoport said on the “Between The Tackles” podcast.
🎙️ @RapSheet on Vrabel & Russini:
“Watching this play out in public has been really sad. I don’t blame the media. But (it’s) much sadder than I ever anticipated. I would not wish anybody to go thru what everyone involved in this is going through.”🎧 Apple:… pic.twitter.com/ztAOog4OGx
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaSports) May 20, 2026
However, Rapoport stopped short of blaming the media itself.
“I don’t blame the media. I really don’t, because the public thirst is there,” he explained. “The media isn’t getting people interested; they’re already interested in it. They’re feeding the beast. Watching this play out in public is much sadder than I ever anticipated. I would not wish anybody to go through what everyone involved in this is going through.”
Rapoport and Russini are both in the NFL insider space, so this story hits close to home for the reporter.
The story initially broke on April 7 when Page Six published photos of the Patriots head coach and the senior NFL insider holding hands at the Ambiente Sedona resort in Arizona. Both Russini and Vrabel are married with children.
After the pictures went viral, Russini resigned from The Athletic a week later, while Vrabel skipped Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to enter counseling along with his wife.
More photos and videos have surfaced in recent weeks, with some dating as far back as 2020 when Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Russini has stayed silent publicly since resigning from The Athletic. She also deactivated her X account on April 23 after old tweets were resurfacing. Russini and her husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, were spotted kissing in front of their home on Mother’s Day.
Then, last weekend, the couple was seen dining at Bourbon and Branch Bar in Midtown Manhattan with a large group of friends before attending a Bruce Springsteen concert at Madison Square Garden.
As for Vrabel, the Patriots have supported him every step of the way, and the NFL announced it will not investigate the matter under the personal conduct policy.
