The halfway point of the 2026 NFL season is apparently the time for Dianna Russini to return to media.
The former NFL insider for The Athletic has been telling people in the league that she will be returning to work the week of Nov. 9, according to multiple reports. Pro Football Talk noted
that the details were unknown, while Page Six reported that Russini would host her own digital show interviewing athletes and other stakeholders.Russini resigned from The Athletic, owned by the New York Times, in April following an internal investigation into her relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. The two were photographed together at a Sedona, Arizona resort before the league meetings in March. Other intimate photos of the two emerged
after they both denied anything inappropriate.
"Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards," an Athletic standards and quality editor, Mike Semel, wrote in his report. "Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed."
Vrabel was not punished but skipped the last day of the NFL draft to be with his family.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Russini deleted her primary social-media account (X) and has not posted on Instagram since February. In a June New York Times story, she relayed that she does not consider herself a journalist anymore.
Russini previously worked for ESPN and the local NBC station in Washington, D.C. before becoming the most important NFL news gatherer for The Athletic.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dianna Russini preparing to launch new show amid career comeback, per reports
