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Photographs were released showing New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with The Athletic/New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona earlier this week, and now that reporter is the subject of an internal investigation.
Athletic editor-in-chief Steven Ginsberg initially made a statement to the New York Post’s Page Six on April 7, calling the photos “misleading.”
“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Ginsberg initially said. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a top journalist covering the NFL and we are proud to have her at The Athletic.”
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Cars and taxis drive past the New York Times sign above the entrance to the newspaper’s headquarters in Times Square in New York, January 27, 2023. (Yuriy T/iStock)
Now, sources at The Athletic close to the controversy have told PK Press Club that Digital Russini is under investigation, while standing by Ginsberg’s initial statement.
The sources responded to PK Press Club Digital after Page Six and Front Office Sports reported on the internal investigation into Russini.
“After Page Six contacted Dianna for comment on Tuesday, The Athletic immediately opened an investigation. Although the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for Steven and executives at The Athletic, an initial review suggested that the images provided lacked context, particularly the presence of a larger group of friends,” a source said.
“New details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation have raised additional concerns that are currently being further investigated. The investigation is ongoing.”
The source added that media coverage of Russini was being reviewed, which is expected to take time, and that she would not be reporting for the outlet in the meantime.
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates after the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The New York Times declined to comment.
The photos, originally published by Page Six, shows the coach and reporter holding hands and hugging on the roof of a resort bungalow in Sedona, Arizona.
Vrabel addressed the photos, telling Page Six: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion to the contrary is laughable. It deserves no further response.”
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the sidelines during the first half of an NFL playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Foxborough, Massachusetts, January 11, 2026. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Russini told the outlet, “The photos do not depict the group of six people hanging out during the day. Like most NFL reporters, reporters interact with sources far from stadiums and other locations.”
The photographs and the responses that followed became the subject of a huge national debate in the sports world this week.
