There’s a subtext to the recent Dianna Russini situation at The Athletic. As explained by John Ourand of Puck in the latest edition of his Varsity newsletter, the controversy highlights lingering tensions between The Athletic and The New York Times, which purchased the sports publication in 2022.
Ourand describes the Times as “not quite a media company but rather a loosely organized federation of warring factions.” They have, per Ourand, “tribal leaders with a penchant for nursing longitudinal feuds, petty or otherwise.”
Past pressure points have come from the Times telling reporters working for The Athletic to not identify themselves as employees of the Gray Lady. Reporters with the Times have complained that The Athletic “operates under looser standards and rules.”
Via Ourand, the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel imbroglio “has struck a particular nerve because staffers fear it reflects more broadly — and more poorly —" on the publication’s reputation.
Ourand notes that the drama impacts ongoing collective bargaining talks. The Times Guild wants The Athletic to be folded into the union, a request aimed at preventing the Times from buying nonunion operations and using their coverage to replace union jobs.
It makes for a bigger mess than it would have been if, for example, Russini were still at ESPN. The broader, and preexisting, dance between The Athletic and the Times makes the scandal a political football in the broader chess match between the two operations.
The Patriots currently have two quarterbacks on the roster. They likely will be adding another at some point
V.P. of player personnel Eliot Wolf addressed during his pre-draft question whether the team may fill the third spot in the later rounds of the upcoming selection process, following the recent release of 2025 backup Josh Dobbs.
“We’ve evaluated all the quarterbacks,” Wolf said, via a transcript provided by the team. “We’re continuing to do that. We’re looking at some pro options as well. It was really less about Josh specifically and more about the development and growth that we saw from Tommy DeVito in his practice reps last year. He was, as Josh was as well, a great resource for Drake [Maye]. We’ll continue to evaluate the position, whether that’s draft, a pro free agent, a college free agent or however it ends up falling.”
DeVito has a two-year, $4.4 million deal, which is very affordable as quarterbacks go. Especially with Maye entering the third year of his rookie contract. A low-round draft pick at the position would be even more inexpensive than either of them.
They’ll likely add two, one way or the other. Most teams have four quarterbacks throughout the offseason, and into training camp and the offseason. The question as of late August will be whether they carry two or three on the 53-man roster.
Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf knows the questions about trading for Eagles receiver A.J. Brown are not going away, but he’s doing his best not to confirm or deny anything.
Asked today whether he’s keeping the door open to trading for Brown, Wolf said he is — but he’s also keeping the door open to adding any other player.
“As far as players on other teams, gonna keep the door open to anything that we think may improve our roster, whether that’s with the player you mentioned or other players,” Wolf said.
Speculation has swirled for months that the Eagles are looking to trade Brown, and that the Patriots are among the teams with interest in making a deal. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel previously coached Brown in Tennessee for three seasons, and that strengthens the connection between the player and the team.
A trade likely wouldn’t happen until after June 1, when a deal becomes easier for the Eagles to navigate under the salary cap. Wolf will hear the questions about Brown at least until then.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was not present for the team’s pre-draft press conference on Monday, which means that he didn’t have to field any questions about the release of photos that have created questions about his relationship with The Athletic‘s NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
Vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf was scheduled to handle the presser before those photos went public last week and Wolf was asked one question referencing Vrabel during the session. Wolf was asked how involved Vrabel has been in the team’s draft preparations over the last week.
“Very involved,” Wolf said. “Business as usual. He’s been in there with us, this round of meetings, probably a little more than he was last year.”
Vrabel is not expected to meet with the media until the draft next week and we’ll see at that point if the questions veer from football matters to what appeared in the New York Post.
As The Athletic investigates the Dianna Russini/Mike Vrabel situation (with Russini being essentially suspended without it being called a suspension), some facts are emerging regarding the internal reaction to the situation.
Natalie Korach of Status reports, via Sam Neumann of Awful Announcing, that staff members within The Athletic and its parent company, the New York Times, have concerns about the publication’s P.R. strategy.
One unnamed source called the companies’ handling of the matter, per Korach, “unnecessarily messy.” Another unnamed source, per Korach, objected to the initial statement from The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg, which was loud and clear and devoid of any mention that an investigation had already begun. The source called the approach “reckless,” “premature,” and “intentionally sneaky.”
Said Ginsberg, in his initial comment to the New York Post upon publication of the photos: “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.”
Even if the initial statement resulted from an aggressive and unequivocal denial by the reporter, it made no sense to push a narrative that, based on the photos, may not have been fully accurate. That said, The Athletic was in a tough spot. Saying nothing would have said plenty. Telling the full and complete truth would have given credence to the notion that the reporter’s aggressive and unequivocal denial may not have been fully accurate.
The best response may have been some version of the truth. Something like this: “We have seen the photos. We have received the reporter’s explanation. Given the high editorial standards that apply to this publication, we are reviewing the situation.”
It’s a wrinkle that makes it even less likely, in our view, that Russini will return to The Athletic before the expiration of her contract. It reportedly expires in August 2026. It may lapse even before that.
Either way, the contract was already in the home stretch. The easy out is to let it expire and move on.
Internally, other reporters with The Athletic and the Times may expect something more clear and definitive. Some may believe, rightly or wrongly, that the situation impacts their own credibility. Others may simply want an unmistakable message sent within the organizations as to what will or won’t be tolerated, given the very high bar set by the New York Times.
However it plays out, it’s been a little clunky so far for The Athletic. That makes it even more important for The Athletic to stick the landing in a way that will create the right impression externally and, more importantly, internally.
