Dianna Russini tipped for shock return to the NFL in wake of Mike Vrabel affair scandal... as close friend reveals her career plans

One of Dianna Russini's former colleagues and a 'really good friend' has tipped her to be back working in the NFL in the not-too-distant future. 

Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic, owned by The New York Times Company, in April, shortly after photos surfaced of her at an adults-only Arizona resort with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

The photos sparked a wave of speculation regarding the nature of their relationship, as a string of further photos later emerged of the pair, including pictures showing them kissing at a New York bar, reportedly in March 2020. 

The Daily Mail published photos of Vrabel with Russini at a Biloxi, Mississippi, casino in January 2024, and video footage emerge of them arriving for a boat trip that allegedly took place in June 2021, just months before she gave birth to her first son.  

Vrabel was still head coach of the Tennessee Titans at the time and she was reporting on him for ESPN. 

Although both initially denied cheating on their respective spouses, Vrabel has since apologized for his 'actions,' while stopping short of specifically admitting to an affair.

Russini moved to The Athletic from ESPN in August 2023 as a lead NFL journalist. While there, she worked with Mike Silver, national columnist for The Athletic, who has now offered a public defense of his former colleague.

A few days after posting on X that her 'loved working with Dianna and am bummed that she's no longer at The Athletic', Silver appeared on The Tom Talbot Show and suggested she plans to return to the NFL in the near future. 

'Really good friend of mine,' he said of Russini. 'Worked with her at The Athletic, for too short of a time, unfortunately.

'Really, really proud of the journalism we did together and honestly just really bummed that we don't get to continue it because we worked really well together.'

He later added: 'And 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 went on to comment on the wellbeing of Russini and her family after the fallout. She is married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, sharing two young sons together, with the couple putting on a united front having been pictured kissing in May as they were seen for the first time since the scandal.  

'I do know her family,' Silver said. '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.'

Despite the focus on the nature of her relationship with Vrabel and the attached debate on its role in her reporting, Silver defended her skill in the role. 

He said: '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 shared her resignation letter to The Athletic's executive editor, Steven Ginsberg on social media on April 14.

'I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,' she wrote.

'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. Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete.

'It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept. 

'Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.'