NFL reporter Dianna Russini got touchy-feely with coach Mike Vrabel at a party just days before the Super Bowl in 2022.
TMZ Sports published a photo of the interaction on Monday, May 11, which showed Russini, 43, with her arm wrapped around Vrabel’s back at an NFL Honors afterparty in Los Angeles.
The image was taken shortly after Vrabel, 50, won Associated Press Coach of the Year at the awards show, held at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood in February 2022. The afterparty was held at the nearby Forum, where there were “plenty of football people present,” per TMZ.
Vrabel took home the award after guiding the Tennessee Titans to the AFC South title and a 12-5 regular season record. The team ultimately lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round. Vrabel became head coach of the New England Patriots in January 2025, taking the team to the Super Bowl in his first season.
At the time, Russini was working as a reporter for ESPN. She left ESPN in August 2023, moving to The Athletic as the outlet’s lead NFL insider.
Russini resigned from her job at The Athletic last month amid the ongoing scandal involving her and Vrabel, which started last month when Page Six published photos of the pair together at a luxury resort in Arizona.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini said in a written statement shared via social media on April 14. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.”
Russini said the “media frenzy” surrounding her controversial connection with Vrabel inspired her to step down, but she stopped short of admitting anything salacious.
Since Russini’s resignation, more has come out about her relationship with Vrabel. Pictures of the two seemingly kissing at a bar in New York City in 2020 were published by Page Six, and TMZ shared video of them on a private boat trip in June 2021, when Russini was seven months pregnant with her first baby.
Russini has been married to her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, since September 2020. The couple share two sons: Michael, born in August 2021, and Joey, born in October 2022.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999 and the couple share sons Tyler, 25, and Carter, 24.
While neither Vrabel and Russini have outwardly admitted to having a romantic relationship, Vrabel took some time away from the Patriots during the NFL Draft to attend counseling.
“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 in a statement to ESPN on April 22. “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.”
Vrabel continued, “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.”
