
Dianna Russini’s sudden exit from The Athletic has continued to draw attention across the NFL world, and now one longtime insider is openly talking about how difficult the situation has been to watch. The controversy involving Russini and New England Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel has stayed in headlines for weeks after photos of the two at an Arizona resort surfaced online. Since then, the story has grown larger, leading to an internal review at The Athletic and eventually Russini stepping away from the company. While Russini has stayed mostly silent, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport recently shared how deeply uncomfortable the entire situation has become for people close to both sides.
NFL insider, Ian Rapoport reacts to Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel controversy
Speaking on the Between the Tackles podcast last week, Ian Rapoport admitted the public fallout has been painful to follow because he personally knows both Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel. Instead of discussing the situation like a normal football story, Rapoport said this one felt far more personal. Rapoport said:
“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.”















