New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini resigned from her position amid internal scrutiny after photos showed them embracing at an Arizona resort.
The New York Post published the images on April 9, 2026, depicting Vrabel and Russini holding hands and hugging at a luxury Sedona hotel during a weekend getaway. Both are married to other people.
Russini told the Post she and Vrabel were in Arizona for NFL league meetings, but the photos were taken at an adults-only resort unrelated to league activities. She contacted a crisis communications expert the same day she learned the Post had the photos.
The Patriots organization attempted to prevent the story’s publication, according to a report republished by Yahoo! Sports from InTouch. Patriots owner Robert Kraft used the extended response window granted by the Post to pressure the reporter and newspaper, though the effort failed.
Russini appealed directly to Meredith Kopit Levien, CEO of The Athletic’s parent company, the New York Times, to plead her case. She also coordinated with Vrabel on a joint response, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The Athletic initially defended Russini but reversed course as internal employee outrage grew. Days after the Post story, the company placed her on leave while investigating whether she misrepresented the nature of her trip with Vrabel.
Russini resigned on April 14, 2026, amid an ongoing investigation into her relationship with Vrabel, her NFL coverage, and potential violations of company policy. She did not return to work after the leave was announced.
For more on this story, see The Athletic Investigates Reporter Russini’s Relationship With Patriots Coach Vrabel After Photos Emerge.
Vrabel, the reigning AP NFL Coach of the Year, maintained the photos showed only innocent interaction with friends. He told Page Six the images were “laughable” as evidence of impropriety and declined further comment.
The NFL confirmed it would not investigate Vrabel under its personal conduct policy, stating his behavior did not meet the threshold for conduct “detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.” Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf said Vrabel continued normal pre-draft duties.
The Athletic’s executive editor Steven Ginsberg said the company reopened its review after initial support for Russini gave way to new questions. He cited emerging information that complicated the original explanation provided by Russini and Vrabel.
Prior to the photos’ release, Russini and Vrabel had a professional relationship dating back to Vrabel’s tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Their interaction at the resort raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest given Russini’s role covering the NFL for The Athletic.
Why did Russini resign if she and Vrabel said the photos were innocent?
Russini resigned amid an internal investigation at The Athletic into whether she lied about the nature of her trip with Vrabel and whether her relationship with him created a conflict of interest in her NFL reporting.
Did the NFL take any disciplinary action against Vrabel?
No, the NFL announced it would not investigate Vrabel, stating his conduct did not violate the league’s personal conduct policy, which covers behavior damaging to the league’s integrity and public confidence.
