Dianna Russini and former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel were the front-and-center act on Scoop City, the podcast that turned The Athletic’s NFL coverage into a daily habit. For two solid NFL seasons, they exchanged their thoughts on everything that was happening in the league with listeners rating the show 4.5 on Spotify. So when Daniel finally broke his silence on the Mike Vrabel – Russini controversy, the weight of that partnership showed.

On The Jim Rome Show, Daniel was asked about Russini and the fallout from the controversy with Vrabel, the New England Patriots head coach. Daniel tread lightly when speaking about the situation.

“Look, that’s something that’s unfortunate in many different ways,” Daniel said. “We haven’t really chatted about it. We haven’t done any of that, so I’m going to leave that there. That’s their business. It has turned into quite the assignment of everything, it’s like TMZ is covering it, the Wall Street Journal, all these things are covering it, so I’m sure she’ll land on her feet somewhere, and that’s all I’ll really say about that.”

After a year of co-hosting Scoop City for The Athletic and a short stint at FS1, Daniel joined ESPN in 2025 as a college football commentator and NFL studio analyst. After the controversy broke, The Athletic confirmed in April that the podcast is “in transition.” Russini herself resigned shortly afterwards. Meanwhile, Daniel has since appeared on ESPN. Awful Announcing also revealed that his contract with the ‘Scoop City podcast’ had expired. While there are no confirmations on the resume date of the podcast, it is expected to start with new co-hosts.

Since Page Six published the photos of Vrabel and Russini in early April, the story itself hasn’t slowed down. After the second set of photos surfaced, Vrabel acknowledged he had “difficult” conversations with his family and the organization, and missed Day 3 of the NFL draft to seek counseling.

The NFL closed its own inquiry on April 21, ruling it a “personal matter” that didn’t violate the league’s personal conduct policy. Vrabel kept his job and is training the new roster for his team. Russini hasn’t spoken publicly since. But the NFL teams couldn’t resist taking their shots.

When the Los Angeles Chargers dropped their 2026 schedule release video – a Halo-themed production – they slipped a sign reading “Next Photo Dump 1 Mile” and a mock New York Post notification timed to the reveal of their Week 12 matchup against New England. The Chargers lost to Vrabel’s Patriots in the playoffs last season, which made the trolling feel even more pointed.

As for Dianna Russini, Chase Daniel’s “she’ll land on her feet” reads like a gut feeling from someone who knows her well. And as it turns out, there’s already evidence that he’s right.

Russini already has a job offer

Many people around Russini’s circle have chosen to stay away from the controversy. Even Chase Daniel only shared his support for Russini and refused to talk about the incident itself. But the one voice that has been consistent through all of this belongs to Jon Weiner. He’s Russini’s former ESPN colleague, now running his own show on Stugotz and Company, and he’s made it clear that a door is open for her, no expiration date attached.

“If The Athletic fired her, I would hire her,” Weiner said. “They didn’t fire her. She stepped down from The Athletic, and the offer holds forever. If Dianna Russini decides one day, three months from now, a year from now, two years from now, that she wants to get back into this game, she has a place right here.”

Weiner was also careful to separate what he owes her as a colleague from what he owes her as a friend.

“I’m not a journalist, I’m a talk show host,” he added. “And when my real friends fall on some difficult times, I like to support my friends and talk to them and be someone who listens. Not talks, listens. This is her story to share when she feels like sharing it.”

Russini’s career may have taken a serious hit with this controversy, but she has covered the NFL for over a decade – starting at WRC-TV, then ESPN, and The Athletic. Her genuine sourcing and credibility during that time has always been highly touted. Now, Weiner’s offer is a radio platform, not a return to premium NFL beat work, but it’s a standing signal that the industry hasn’t closed the door on her.

Chase Daniel called it right. The only questions now are where Dianna Russini decides to land next and when.