Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic with defiant letter after Mike Vrabel photos

• The Athletic was investigating Russini for a potential conflict of interest.
• Russini stated she was stepping aside to avoid a "media frenzy" and "self-feeding speculation."

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic on April 14, exactly one week after pictures of her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at a posh Arizona resort were published by the New York Post.

Russini's resignation letter to The Athletic's executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, which she shared on social media, reads in part: “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful.

"In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts. 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.”

The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, confirmed Saturday that Russini's conduct was being investigated, saying, "The Athletic’s editorial guidelines require that their journalists avoid any activities that pose a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict, so as not to call into question their credibility."

The photos, published by The Post on April 7, show Vrabel and Russini in bathing suits poolside as well as hugging on a rooftop at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, days before the NFL's annual league meeting in Phoenix. Both Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, are married to other people with whom they have children.

"These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," Vrabel told the Post, which published the photos, in a statement last week.

"This doesn’t deserve any further response."

The day after the pictures emerged, Ginsberg weighed in with a statement of support as well.

"These photos are misleading and lack essential context," he said at the time. "These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic."

However in a letter sent to staffers of The Athletic on Tuesday following Russini's resignation, Ginsberg expressed that new issues had arisen during the course of the investigation into her conduct, writing in part: "While I can't share the details of our investigation into Dianna's conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it. ... When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation."

Russini, who previously covered the NFL in the Washington D.C. market for the local NBC affiliate (WRC) and then worked for ESPN prior to joining The Athletic in 2023, covered Vrabel while he was the coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023.

"The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day," she said in a statement after the pictures came to light.

"Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."

Is Mike Vrabel facing any discipline from the Patriots?

It doesn't seem so.

New England vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf conducted the team's pre-draft press conference April 13 − Vrabel did so in 2025 but was never scheduled to handle it this year − and was only presented with one question that even vaguely touched on the coach's connection to Russini.

Asked how much Vrabel had been immersed in draft preparation over the past week, Wolf replied: "Very involved. Business as usual. He’s been in there with us a little more than he was last year."

Vrabel has not addressed reporters since making his initial statement the day after the photos with Russini emerged. He is expected to speak at some point during the upcoming NFL draft, which will occur from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

USA TODAY Sports reached out to the Patriots seeking further comment. Aside from Wolf's statement, the team has not made any public acknowledgement of the pictures with Vrabel and Russini nor revealed whether the coach has violated organizational standards of conduct in any way.

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