Senior NFL reporter Dianna Russini endured a difficult offseason after pictures of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona hotel went viral. The alleged relationship not only impacted her personal life but also affected her career, as she resigned from The Athletic in April.
Super Bowl champion quarterback Chase Daniel, who previously co-hosted the “Scoop City” podcast with Russini, has now announced a major career move that cements his place as one of football’s up-and-coming broadcasters.
Chase Daniel Signs New Deal With ESPN
After retiring from the NFL in 2023, the former quarterback wasted little time transitioning into broadcasting.
On Wednesday morning, Daniel announced on X that he signed a new multi-year deal with ESPN.
“This season, I’ll be wearing a few different hats: SEC Nation, Thursday Night Primetime CFB, NFL Studio Coverage,” Daniel said.
“To everyone who’s watched the YouTube breakdowns, listened to the podcasts, watched on TV, or supported this next chapter after my playing career… thank you. None of this happens without you.”
Pretty excited to finally share this…
I’m signing a multi-year extension with ESPN, & I couldn’t be more excited.
This season, I’ll be wearing a few different hats:⁰- SEC Nation⁰- Thursday Night Primetime CFB⁰- NFL Studio Coverage
To everyone who’s watched the YouTube… pic.twitter.com/D9GweA4nS7
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) July 8, 2026
Daniel previously co-hosted The Athletic’s “Scoop City” alongside Russini. The show started in 2024 ahead of the NFL season but came to an abrupt end in March this year (before the Russini-Vrabel scandal surfaced), raising plenty of questions.
Daniel left the show around the same time, roughly a month before Page Six published the viral photos of Russini and Vrabel.
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Despite working alongside Russini for more than two years, the veteran broadcaster declined to weigh in on the controversy surrounding his former co-host.
“That’s their business. It has turned into quite the assignment of everything; it’s like TMZ is covering it, the Wall Street Journal, all these things are covering it, so I’m sure she’ll land on her feet somewhere and that’s all I’ll really say about that,” Daniel said back in May of 2026.
For now, Russini is not associated with any media outlet in a sports journalism role. In fact, she recently referred to herself as a “former journalist” in text messages with a reporter from The New York Times, hinting that a career pivot may be coming.
She was recently spotted with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, and their two children enjoying a luxurious cruise during the Fourth of July holiday.
