Dianna Russini has made plenty of NFL headlines this offseason ever since photos emerged that showed her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Now, the former The Athletic insider is once again the subject of conversation after NFL podcaster Tony Farmer resurfaced her an old video where she admitted to lying to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen during the 2024 NFL MVP race.
Dianna Russini Admits She Lied to Josh Allen As Tony Farmer Calls For AP to Release Her Awards Ballot
Farmer resurfaced comments that Russini made during a past appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast where Russini admitted to lying to Allen and members of the Buffalo Bills organization that she planned to vote for him for MVP before ultimately casting her ballot for Lamar Jackson.
“Cringe alert,” Farmer wrote on X. “Josh Allen had a $1.5 Million incentive in his contract and Dianna Russini lied to him and told him she’d vote for him for MVP. This is her admitting she lied to Josh on tape. Did Mike Vrabel earn an extra million $ for winning COTY? AP, release the ballots.”
Cringe alert.
Josh Allen had a $1.5 Million incentive in his contract and Dianna Russini lied to him and told him she’d vote for him for MVP.
This is her admitting she lied to Josh on tape.
Did Mike Vrabel earn an extra million $ for winning COTY? AP, release the ballots. pic.twitter.com/VvTLlEOvh4
— Tony Farmer (@Tonysmarkettips) June 14, 2026
In the podcast appearance that Farmer attached to his tweet, Russini explained how she handled her voting process.
“Did I tell you the story about that? I see Josh. I see Brandon Beane. I see all the Buffalo people before I cast my vote. I tell them I’m voting for Josh, right?” Russini said.
“Oh, that’s dirty,” Barstool Sports’ Big Cat responded.
Russini then explained that she often talks with players before finalizing her ballot.
“Then, I [go to] vote and I was going through it, and I have a weird style of doing it. I call players and I ask them. Like I tell them who I’m voting for and then I get their reaction and then I kind of collect all their thoughts because in my opinion, the players know better than me who is the best player on the field when you’re playing against them,” Russini said.
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The AP ended up making each ballot public without informing the voters, which Russini admitted made her look bad even though Allen ultimately won the MVP award over Jackson.
“So then they revealed the votes and who we voted for. So I just look like an a** because I’m like, I obviously lied to Josh Allen,” Russini said.
Allen’s MVP victory triggered a contract incentive worth $1.5 million, so this could’ve been even more costly if she had lied and ultimately contributed to him losing the award and missing out on a significant bonus.
Since these awards often carry financial incentives, Farmer called out the Associated Press for refusing to reveal Russini’s most recent voting ballot, as Vrabel won the Coach of the Year award, and Russini had a conflict of interest as a voter given their alleged relationship.
Vrabel received 302 points and 19 first-place votes. He edged out Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. Farmer then questioned whether the Coach of the Year voting may also have triggered contract incentives for Vrabel.
Russini has served as an Associated Press NFL awards voter since 2022 and remains one of 50 media members selected to vote on the league’s official postseason awards each year. It remains to be seen if she will lose her vote given the recent scandal.
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The whole Russini-Vrabel controversy exploded after Page Six published photos of the duo a luxury adult-only resort in Sedona, Arizona in April. Russini has since resigned from The Athletic, while Vrabel remains head coach of the Patriots.