Dianna Russini confirms media return with two NFL gigs after 'nightmare' Mike Vrabel scandal
Dianna Russini confirms media return with two NFL gigs after 'nightmare' Mike Vrabel scandal
Sahil Kurup Mon, November 9, 2026 at 5:36 PM UTC
0
Dianna Russini has confirmed her comeback to sports media following the Mike Vrabel scandal -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)
Dianna Russini is returning to sports media seven months after photos with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel pushed her out of one of the NFL’s most prominent reporting jobs.
Russini, 43, has announced she will host her own weekly show, The Russini Report, and join a popular sports radio host’s podcast as a regular contributor. The one-hour show will stream on BetUS TV’s website and X account beginning Wednesday, Nov. 11, and will air Wednesdays at noon ET, with an accompanying NFL column.
Her first guests will be Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells and sports radio personality Damon Amendolara. In the second gig, she will be a featured contributor on the Nobody’s Safe podcast with Jon Weiner, better known as Stugotz.
• NFL insider Mike Florio vows to 'ignore' Dianna Russini reports until 'credibility restored'
• Dianna Russini next role uncovered as off-shore sportsbook appears to be new home
Russini said the show will let her share opinions she was not allowed to give before.
“It’s really going to be a show about everything I know that’s going on in the NFL,” Russini told PEOPLE, "along with a lot of my opinions.”
Advertisement
The comeback follows a turbulent stretch that began in April, when Page Six published photos of Russini and Vrabel embracing and holding hands at an Arizona hotel. Both are married to other people, and both denied any impropriety, saying they had nothing more than a professional reporter-source relationship.
Russini and Vrabel face scrutiny over reports of an alleged relationship -Credit:Getty
Tabloids later published additional images, including a 2020 outing at a New York City bar and footage of a 2021 boat outing in Tennessee, where Vrabel coached the Titans from 2018 to 2023.
Russini resigned from The Athletic, and in September the outlet released the findings of an internal investigation that determined her relationship with Vrabel gave the appearance of a conflict of interest and was “in clear violation” of its standards.
Russini described the early weeks as the worst of her career. “The best way to describe what the last six months were like for me is heartbreaking,” Russini said. “At the beginning of this, it was a nightmare.”
Russini will be headlining her own show in her first gig since the scandal with Vrabel broke -Credit:Getty
“I’m not scared to get back in because I know the people that I cover are welcoming me back with open arms,” Russini added.
She said the experience has changed how she plans to cover the league, with a deeper empathy for the players and families affected by her reporting. Russini also said it cost her a lot of credit for her past accomplishments, as years of work were overshadowed by one moment.
“Dianna brings an incredible level of experience, energy, and insider knowledge to NFL reporting,” said Andres Vargas, head content editor at BetUS. “At BetUS, we already provide fans with in-depth sports news, expert analysis, and betting statistics to help them stay ahead of the game. Bringing Dianna on board takes that offering to the next level, combining her insider reporting and ability to uncover breaking stories with the data and insights our fans already rely on. We’re excited to give NFL fans an even deeper understanding of the teams, players, and matchups shaping the season.”
Vrabel, 51, has continued coaching through the controversy and is married to his wife, Jen, whom he wed in 1999. His Patriots (5-4) lost 45-27 to the Packers on Sunday. Russini’s new show will premiere just days after that loss, and she told PEOPLE that she hopes her work will be what people remember.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
