Dianna Russini is suddenly at the centre of a big story. The NFL insider from The Athletic has been placed on leave by its parent company, The New York Times, after photos of her with New England Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel surfaced this week. The pictures, first published by Page Six, show the two spending time together at a resort in Sedona, Arizona. Both Russini and Vrabel have responded, saying the situation is being misunderstood. Still, the company has started an internal review, and Russini has paused her work as the process continues.
Dianna Russini placed on leave after Mike Vrabel’s photos surfaced
The situation began when photos from March 28, 2026, appeared online. They revealed that Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel were together at a high-end resort in Sedona. According to The Daily Mail, The Athletic quickly moved to review the matter after the images became public. Russini has not published any new stories since then. Her podcast, Scoop City, has also stopped releasing episodes. A spokesperson told Awful Announcing that the show was already “in transition since the Super Bowl,” but the timing has raised questions. Both, Russini and Vrabel have denied any wrongdoing. Speaking through The Athletic to Front Office Sports, Russini said the photos do not show the full picture.
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