New Details Emerge on Dianna Russini's Contract With The Athletic

NFL insider Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel have dominated the headlines over the past week, even with the 2026 draft quickly approaching.

At this time of the year, top insiders like Russini are usually working extensively to get big stories out ahead of the NFL draft. And Vrabel, like the other 31 NFL head coaches, should be focused entirely on the draft.

But Russini and Vrabel inadvertently took over the NFL spotlight last week, when Page Six released photos of the two spending time together at an adults-only hotel in Sedona, Arizona.

The photos, taken on March 28, show Russini and Vrabel hugging, holding hands and enjoying relaxing at a pool. The Athletic, Russini's employer since 2023, placed her on leave while they investigate the matter.

Interestingly, if The Athletic decides to move on from Russini? There's a path to make it a clean departure.

According to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, Russini's contract with The Athletic expires in August, shortly before the start of the 2026 NFL regular season.

Russini previously worked with ESPN from 2015 to 2023. She became part of their NFL coverage in 2017.

The Athletic's Executive Editor Initially Defended Dianna Russini

Soon after the photos of Russini and Vrabel surfaced, The Athletic executive director Steven Ginsberg quickly came to her defense. Ginsberg gave the following statement to Page Six:

"These photos are misleading and lack essential context. 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."

Days later, Russini's bosses decided to put her on leave while they investigated the matter with Vrabel. In her statement to Page Six, the 43-year-old insider said, "The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day."

Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999. Russini tied the knot with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, in 2020.

The 50-year-old Vrabel led the Patriots to a 14-3 record and a surprise Super Bowl appearance in his first season as their head coach. They fell 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks in the big game.