Report: Dianna Russini Situation Getting Uglier Behind The Scenes

The situation involving NFL insider Dianna Russini is reportedly getting uglier behind the scenes at The Athletic.

Russini, who formerly covered the NFL for ESPN, joined The Athletic as its premier NFL insider in 2023. Recently, she was photographed fraternizing with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Page Six published photos of Russini and Vrabel, who are both married, holding hands and sitting poolside at an Arizona resort, prior to the NFL's league meetings in Phoenix. Both Russini and Vrabel have denied being more than friends.

But The Athletic, which initially stood by Russini, is now investigating its top NFL insider. Russini, who lives in New Jersey, will not be reporting until the investigation concludes. And things are reportedly getting messy.

According to John Ourand of Puck in the latest edition of his Varsity newsletter, the controversy involving Russini highlights a growing tension within The Athletic, which is owned by the New York Times.

Russini works for The Athletic, but the sports outlet is owned by the New York Times. Ourand says that the New York Times has a bunch of "tribal leaders with a penchant for nursing longitudinal feuds, petty or otherwise."

The Russini controversy is just adding fuel to that fire.

Employees of the New York Times have reportedly been complaining that reporters at The Athletic operate "under looser standards and rules." Meanwhile, the Russini situation "has struck a particular nerve because staffers fear it reflects more broadly - and more poorly -" for those at the company.

The Patriots, meanwhile, continue to ignore it

The Patriots held a pre-NFL Draft press conference on Monday. Vrabel was not present. However, one question was asked about the team's head coach.

It had nothing to do with the Russini situation, though. Instead, the Patriots were just asked if Vrabel had been involved much in the team's pre-NFL Draft process. Patriots VP Eliot Wolf stated that he has.

Neither Vrabel nor Russini have said anything publicly since their initial denials.

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