After photos involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini surfaced during their time together at the Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona, the latter has been under investigation. Amid that, Russini chose to resign.

A staff email sent by The Athletic‘s Steven Ginsberg said, per Dylan Byers of The Puck, read: “I’m writing to let you know that Dianna Russini has submitted her resignation from The Athletic, effective immediately. While I can’t share the details of our investigation into Dianna’s conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it.

“Our coverage at The Athletic is deeply rooted in our integrity and our commitment to earning the trust of our audience. Our newsroom has thrived because of our core journalistic values, and we will always ensure they are protected.

“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation, and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.

“While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign. We will continue a standards review of Dianna’s work that Mike Semel is leading.”

In fact, it was Ginsberg who first responded after the New York Post obtained photos showing Russini alongside Vrabel. He had mentioned the pictures published lacked context and were misleading. However, the public scrutiny has been affecting Russini, her family, and her work, and her decision to resign stems from that. In her resignation, she reiterated that she worked with immense professionalism and stood behind every story she published. She also 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.”

Hence, she believed it would be best to step down before her contract expires on June 30 rather than let the speculation continue.

While the photos of them holding hands and hugging raised questions about ethics in journalism, The Athletic‘s editorial guidelines suggest that its reporters need to avoid “even the appearance of a conflict of interest” so that it doesn’t undermine their authority. While both have mentioned they were part of a group, which wasn’t visible in the pictures, eyewitnesses at the hotel reportedly mentioned them to be alone.

Russini has built a reputation as one of the top voices covering the NFL. She began her journey with NBC New York before moving to ESPN, and in 2023, she made the switch to The Athletic, where she worked as a football insider. That move was surprising for many because she decided to leave ESPN behind, one of the biggest sports networks. At Athletic, she was likely the highest-paid writer.

At ESPN, Russini had built a reputation as a relentless NFL insider, part beat reporter, part firebrand, with a deep and expanding network of sources. And The Athletic counted on fans to embrace not just her reporting, but the edge, intensity, and passion she brought to covering the game.

While Russini has stepped down from her role, this incident hasn’t had an impact on Mike Vrabel’s job with the New England Patriots.

Patriots VP addresses Mike Vrabel’s NFL draft role after the Arizona incident

After pictures involving Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini surfaced, the veteran reporter decided to step down from her role. However, the incident hasn’t had an impact on the New England Patriots’ head coach role with the franchise. During the team’s April 13 pre-draft news conference, the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, asked about Vrabel’s role in player evaluations over the past week.

“Very involved. Business as usual. He’s been in there with us a little more than he was last year,” Eliot Wolf said.

It marked the first instance of someone from the team’s front office addressing the media since the photos began circulating. Interestingly, the head coach was available to talk to the media before last year’s draft, but chose to skip the conference on Monday. Reports suggest he won’t be talking to reporters until the draft, which is later this month.

However, he has already issued a statement on the controversy: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”