Dianna Russini — the reporter spotted getting cozy with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Arizona last month — has resigned from her job with The Athletic.
The NFL insider submitted a letter to her employer on Tuesday … saying she has handled her responsibilities with “professionalism and dedication” throughout her career … and she stands by every story featuring her byline.
Russini — who joined the outlet in 2023 after leaving ESPN — said she’s leaving not because she did anything wrong … but because of the “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,” Russini said. “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.”
Russini and Vrabel — who are married to other people — both downplayed the pics Page Six obtained and published last week … and she claimed there was a group of friends hanging out at the luxury resort, and he said it was “laughable” to consider the pics showed anything but an “innocent interaction.”
The Athletic backed its employee in a big way … only to launch an investigation days later. The probe remains ongoing, despite Russini’s exit.
As for Vrabel, Pats EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf said the coach is still very much involved in the team’s day-to-day operations amid the backlash.
