The Athletic is reportedly in advanced talks to hire CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The New York Times-owned publication is poised to make this significant NFL hire following the departure of reporter Dianna Russini.
Sources told The Post that Jones is expected to join The Athletic with a title similar to senior NFL writer, though this has not been finalized. His role will continue to involve covering the league, but it is not anticipated to be in the same insider capacity as his current position at CBS Sports.
Jones joined CBS Sports in 2019, having previously worked at Sports Illustrated and the Charlotte Observer. He became the network's lead NFL insider and a frequent contributor to its NFL coverage, including "The NFL Today." In recent seasons, Jones's role shifted away from the network's studio show, while he continued to report for CBS Sports' digital and streaming platforms.
The expected role at The Athletic would focus more on in-depth reporting, providing behind-the-scenes access, and creating feature stories, rather than the transaction-based reporting that was part of Russini's former responsibilities. The Athletic has not yet determined how or if Russini's former role as NFL insider will be replaced, and the publication continues to conduct an internal review of her work.
Russini resigned from The Athletic in April. Her departure followed the publication of photographs showing her with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at a resort. Both Russini and Vrabel denied any romantic relationship, stating they were part of a larger group.