Dianna Russini is expected to return to covering the NFL in the near future, according to a former colleague and friend who expressed confidence in her journalistic abilities despite recent controversy. Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic in April, shortly after images surfaced of her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Mike Silver, a national columnist for The Athletic and a self-described "really good friend" of Russini, suggested on The Tom Talbot Show that Russini plans to continue working in the football realm. "I do think she's going to be back, probably not as an insider, at least in the short term. But I think she'll be back in this realm, probably talking about football and other things pretty soon," Silver said.
He also commented on Russini's well-being and that of her family following the public scrutiny. "I do know her family. She's got a great family. And so, you know, a lot of people have had a lot of thoughts about it. I'm not really getting into that, but I would say she is doing a lot better and her family's doing well," Silver stated.
Photos of Russini and Vrabel at an Arizona resort, a Mississippi casino, and a boat trip emerged prior to her resignation. Vrabel, who was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans when some of the reported encounters took place, has since apologized for his "actions" but has not specifically admitted to an affair. Russini was reporting on the Titans for ESPN at the time.
Russini joined The Athletic in August 2023 after a tenure at ESPN. In her resignation letter, shared on social media, she stated, "I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published." She expressed gratitude for The Athletic's initial support but cited the ongoing media frenzy and "self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts" as reasons for her departure. She indicated that she did not want to "submit to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept."
Silver defended Russini's journalistic caliber, stating, "I don't think people understand the level of elite that she was performing at in terms of keeping in touch with the really important people around the league. And I don't mean just agents and transactional, like players, coaches, owners, all of it, talking, having real conversations with them every day and really knowing what was going on and competing at a very high level."
Russini married Kevin Goldschmidt, an executive at Shake Shack, and the couple has two young sons. They were seen together in May, appearing to present a united front following the emergence of the photos.