Just weeks before Dianna Russini walked away from The Athletic amid the Mike Vrabel controversy, she was sitting atop one of the most powerful and lucrative positions in sports media. A new report from The New York Times reveals that Russini was earning nearly $800,000 a year as The Athletic's senior NFL insider — a figure that reportedly made her one of the highest-paid journalists at The Times Company.
The revelation offers a striking look at what was at stake when Russini resigned after the now-infamous photos showing her with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort. According to the Times, The Athletic wasn't preparing to move on from Russini—in fact, the publication was already discussing a new contract with the veteran reporter before the controversy exploded in April.
At the time, Russini was more than a reporter. She had become one of the public faces of The Athletic after joining from ESPN in 2023. She hosted podcasts, appeared at company events, represented the publication at major industry conferences, and was regularly promoted alongside some of the New York Times Company's biggest names.
The Times report paints a picture of a journalist who built her career on access and wasn't shy about talking about it.
"You have to be absolutely ruthless," Russini said during a media conference last year while describing the race for NFL scoops. "Constantly thinking, 'How can I beat everybody?'"
She also described her reporting style as more personal than that of many of her competitors. "I've actually kind of leaned into being a person when I deal with players and coaches and G.M.s," Russini said.
That access-driven approach is now receiving fresh scrutiny. The Times revealed that company executives were examining Russini's role in helping arrange cooperation for a major 2025 profile of Vrabel and reviewing whether her relationship with the Patriots coach created the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The report also resurfaced a story Russini publicly shared about using her NFL connections after being pulled over by police. Recounting the incident on a podcast, she said she FaceTimed an NFL head coach from the roadside and handed the phone to the officer who had stopped her.
"I just got pulled over, and I just wanted you to meet my friend, Officer Joe," Russini recalled telling the coach.
The parent company of the Times later described that conduct as "unacceptable."
The scrutiny intensified after Page Six published photos of Russini and Vrabel at Ambiente Sedona, showing the pair holding hands, embracing, sitting together in a hot tub, and spending time on the rooftop of a private bungalow. Both denied any inappropriate relationship.
"These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," Vrabel said. Russini maintained that the images lacked context and said they did not reflect the larger group that had been present.
Initially, The Athletic publicly defended its star reporter. Executive editor Steven Ginsberg called the photos lacking in "essential context" and described Russini as "a premier journalist." But as additional images surfaced and questions mounted, the company launched a deeper review.
Rather than wait for the outcome, Russini resigned. "I have covered the N.F.L. with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published," she wrote.
Russini resigned from one of the highest-paying jobs in sports journalism. NFL reporter Crissy Froyd was later fired by USA TODAY after publicly attacking Russini.
