The first set of photos from the New York Post showing Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona was taken while Russini worked for The Athletic. The Athletic is now reviewing her reporting, after her resignation.
The latest set of photos from the New York Post was taken while she worked for ESPN. The question now becomes whether ESPN will be reviewing her reporting.
ESPN has declined comment in response to an email inquiry from PFT.
Here’s an example of reporting that could be scrutinized, regarding a situation that developed after March 2020, when the photos published earlier today were taken.
In May 2021, Russini reported that the Falcons “have discussed several offers for wide receiver Julio Jones, including an offer of a future first-round draft pick.” The report, under a headline that proclaimed “Atlanta Falcons have offer of a 1st-round pick for Julio Jones, sources say” created a clear impression that the Falcons had an offer in hand of a first-round pick for Jones.
Her report also downplayed the Titans’ chances of landing Jones, calling them a “long shot.” (At the time, Vrabel served as head coach of the Titans.)
Ultimately, the Titans acquired Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick for a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick.
So how did the reporting potentially help the Titans? Putting out the word that the Falcons had been offered a first-round pick could have had a chilling effect on any team that may have been considering offering a second-round pick. Calling the Titans a “long shot” allowed them to maneuver quietly for Jones.
Given the relationship between Vrabel and Russini, it’s not crazy or reckless to wonder whether her reporting was directly or indirectly connected to the effort to help the Titans get Jones on the best possible terms. Which, of course, will bolster suspicions by Eagles fans that she had been working more recently with Vrabel to get Eagles receiver A.J. Brown on the best possible terms.
The point for now is that the newest photos directly relate to her time at ESPN. And that specific entanglement could explain why it took so long for ESPN to pay full attention to the story. In the end, its own credibility could be undermined by the reporting Russini did while working there.
It’s becoming more clear why Patriots coach Mike Vrabel announced early Thursday morning that he’ll be stepping away from the team for the third day of the draft.
The development came only hours after the New York Post contacted Vrabel regarding an extensive new set of photos of Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
The photos, taken on March 11, 2020 (we’ll circle back to that date), show Vrabel and Russini sitting closely together in a New York City bar.
Along with the photos, the Post reports (citing an unnamed eyewitness) that Vrabel and Russini “were kissing and they were all over each other,” and that they were “very close to each other” throughout the evening.
“They were [giving each other] pecks, a bunch of pecks constantly,” the source told the Post. “There was nobody in there. Nobody knew who they were. I don’t even think the bartenders did.”
At the time, Vrabel was married. Russini was not. She was employed when the newly-released photos were taken by ESPN.
Back to the reported date of the photos. March 11, 2020. That was the same day all hell broke loose in the COVID pandemic. Which has no direct relevance to this specific situation. It’s just a very strange coincidence.
And a very strange situation keeps getting stranger. With the Patriots announcing on Wednesday that Vrabel “or” V.P. of player personnel Eliot Wolf will be available to reporters on Thursday and Friday, it’s a safe bet that Wolf will be getting the assignment for each of the next two days.
The story that won’t go away after 16 days is lingering in large part because the Patriots and coach Mike Vrabel keep giving it oxygen.
Barely a day after Vrabel made a surprise appearance in the press room to deliver a statement regarding photos he initially called “laughable,” Vrabel announced early Thursday morning that he won’t be with the team on the third day of the draft, and that he’ll instead be in “counseling.”
With or without the input of a “crisis communications expert,” the Patriots have made some interesting communications choices regarding the current P.R. crisis. If there was an effort to kill the photos of Vrabel with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini, the Patriots had a good idea as to what the situation could become. And if the Patriots signed off on Vrabel’s dismissive initial statement, they either were duped by his denial or they jointly developed an approach premised on trying to dupe everyone else.
At first, it appeared that the situation would be a bigger problem for Russini, whose former job relied on objectivity, the avoidance of even the appearance of a conflict of interest, and credibility with the audience. After she resigned and Vrabel remained unscathed, the vibe changed.
Tuesday’s statement seemed to be an effort to short-circuit a potentially awkward situation on Thursday night, when Vrabel speaks to reporters after the Patriots make their first-round pick. Vrabel also wanted to address the matter publicly before his players were subjected to media questions regarding, for example, whether Vrabel has talked to them about the photos with Russini.
Then came the team’s confusing decision to issue a statement to Front Office Sports that a crisis communications expert was not utilized in connection with the reported effort to kill the story, without a denial that an effort to kill the initial story was made.
Finally, Vrabel and the Patriots decided that he’ll miss the third day of the draft (a Saturday) to attend counseling, and that the development would be revealed to ESPN for publication under the cover of darkness.
None of it makes sense on the surface. Counseling on a Saturday? The Saturday of the draft? There are other days of the week. And the dust will settle on the draft by early next week. It presumably could have waited.
The timing of the counseling, and the impact on Vrabel’s availability for a fairly important day on the offseason calendar, invites speculation that it’s potentially a low-key suspension imposed by the Patriots, possibly with a nudge from the league office. A way to punish Vrabel without punishing him — or even acknowledging that there would be any reason to do so.
The content and timing of the latest announcement also invites speculation that Vrabel and the Patriots fear something else may be coming. With Vrabel’s Tuesday statement essentially obliterating Russini’s repeated denials, she could (in theory) decide to come clean about whatever it is that Vrabel was referring to on Tuesday. Which could, depending on what she says (if she chooses to say anything), create even more problems for Vrabel and the Patriots.
Whatever the reasons for the strategies that has been employed (and it would be foolish to think that these things are occurring without careful planning), the situation is very strange. And it keeps getting stranger.
Which makes it reasonable to brace for the possibility that the strangest stuff is still to come.
The two-week situation involving Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has taken an unexpected turn.
Via Mike Reiss of ESPN, Vrabel said Wednesday night that he will not be with the team for the third day of the 2026 draft. Instead, Vrabel will enter counseling.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father, and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
The latest development adds another significant wrinkle to the controversy that began 16 days ago, when the New York Post published photos of Vrabel with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona. Both strongly denied that the images indicated anything inappropriate.
Now, a day after Vrabel suddenly appeared in the team’s press room and read a statement calling the incident a “private and personal matter,” Vrabel will taking a tangible step toward fixing the actual or perceived problem that may have contributed to the behavior. Even though it’s still not clear what the behavior was.
Although Vrabel has not expressly acknowledged the basic nature of the conduct, the various pieces add up to something that the application of basic common sense can discern. And it puts Russini, who has strongly denied anything improper as to her relationship with Vrabel, in an even more difficult position, given her repeated statements insisting that the interactions captured by the photographs were innocuous.
The publication by the New York Post of photos showing Patriots coach Mike Vrabel with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini always carried the subtle implication that there could be more.
There now are.
The Post has produced images that purport to show Vrabel and Russini having breakfast at the same adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona at which the initial photos were taken.
The new images don’t carry nearly the same weight as the first wave. Coupled with reporting from the Post, the pictures show the two having breakfast on the morning of Saturday, March 28.
The photos show no others, which tends to further undercut Russini’s claim she and Vrabel were present with a larger group.
The Post also reports, citing multiple unnamed eyewitnesses, that Vrabel and Russini dined alone. The Post further reports, citing unnamed sources close to Russini, that they were joined “by a group of friends.”
Still, the Post reports that Vrabel and Russini “appeared to be trying to go incognito by walking to various places in the resort separately throughout the day, following their breakfast.”
“One of them would go ahead and then the other would wait for a few seconds or so, and then they would follow a few steps ahead,” an unnamed source told the Post, adding it appeared “they really didn’t want to be seen walking together.”
Despite the initial denials provided by Vrabel and Russini to the photos published 15 days ago, Vrabel’s Tuesday statement to reporters made clear that it was not a proverbial nothing burger.
And it’s possible the photos released to date don’t end the issue. There could be more pictures.
Also, most hotels have a network of surveillance cameras. A disgruntled and/or enterprising employee could burn video evidence onto a thumb drive and sell it to the Post or to TMZ.
That’s what happened with the Ray Rice case in 2014. And the videos sold at the time to TMZ turned the entire NFL on its head.
