Dianna Russini has decided to resign from The Athletic amid controversy over photos of herself with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Russini submitted her resignation letter on Tuesday, via Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. While she maintained that there was nothing inappropriate about her relationship with Vrabel, she cited the media firestorm as the reason behind her decision to quit.
“Commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini says in the letter. “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now – before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
I submitted my letter of resignation to The Athletic. Everything I have to say about it is below. pic.twitter.com/401nrtbEsj
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 14, 2026
The Athletic had not yet completed the probe it launched into Russini and the photos last week.
Page Six had initially published the photos last Tuesday, in which Russini and Vrabel appeared to be holding hands and hugging. Both Russini and Vrabel denied that anything inappropriate happened, and claimed the photos lacked context and that the two had been part of a larger group.
It was later revealed that the person who took the photos initially sought four figures for the rights to publish them.
Russini had been The Athletic’s top NFL insider since 2023, having previously worked at ESPN.
