Dianna Russini Is Back: NFL Reporter Returns With Her Own Show 7 Months After Mike Vrabel Scandal

Dianna Russini is returning to the spotlight. The veteran NFL reporter will headline her own show on a digital platform launching next week, seven months after resigning from The Athletic on April 14 amid the fallout from photos published by Page Six showing her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort.

Both Russini and Vrabel described the interaction as completely innocent, but the scrutiny didn’t stop. Vrabel later addressed the situation at a pre-draft press conference, saying he had difficult conversations with his family and was seeking counseling. Additional photos later surfaced showing the two kissing at a New York City bar in 2020, a period when both were with other partners. Through it all, Fox Sports radio host Jon“Stugotz”Wiener publicly offered Russini a job, saying he supports his friends and doesn’t bail on them at their worst professional moments.

Now Russini, 43, who worked at ESPN from 2015 to 2023, is charting her own path back with a digital-first show. The move raises big questions about second chances in sports media and whether audiences separate the person from the reporting. Will you be watching when the show debuts next week? Let us know in the comments.