The Athletic announced the findings of its internal investigation of former NFL reporter Dianna Russini on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The review – which was conducted by Mike Semel, an editorial director for standards and quality at The Athletic – ultimately concluded Russini failed to disclose her conflict of interest regarding her relationship with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Naturally, Vrabel was asked about The Athletic's findings during a news conference the day the report was released. His response?
"No, I don’t have any reaction," Vrabel told reporters. "We're moved on and focused on Seattle and focused on the Patriots and focused on getting better this week."
Vrabel and Russini's relationship first came under scrutiny on April 7, when
The New York Post published photos of the two spending time together at an Arizona resort.
Vrabel initially downplayed the significance of the photos, calling speculation about them "laughable," before changing his tune and acknowledging "difficult conversations" he had in the aftermath of the photos being published.
Meanwhile, Russini resigned from The Athletic shortly after the photos were published. Semel wrote in The Athletic's investigation the photographs of Russini and Vrabel "indicate a relationship that puts The Athletic’s credibility in jeopardy and gives the appearance of a conflict of interest," regardless of whether the relationship was romantic.
At present, Russini no longer considers herself to be a journalist, according to a June story published by The New York Times.
As for Vrabel, he remains employed by the Patriots. The 50-year-old led New England to a Super Bowl berth in his first season with the franchise and is trying to keep his focus on the field as the 2026 NFL season arrives.
"I'm trying to just say that I've moved on, and [I'm] excited about this new opportunity here as we start this season," Vrabel said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Vrabel responds to The Athletic's Dianna Russini investigation
