The Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal has been the story of the NFL offseason, and it isn’t going away quite yet.
On Wednesday morning, The New York Times published a massive story with new details and insight from journalism ethics experts, who didn’t mince words while discussing the controversy.
Journalistic Ethics Experts Stunned by Dianna Russini, Mike Vrabel’s Behavior
The New York Times spoke with Robert Lipsyte, who is a former sportswriter for the Times and an ESPN ombudsman, and Kelly McBride, who is the chair of the Newmark Center for Ethics at the Poynter Institute and a former ombudswoman at ESPN.
Both experts were pretty blunt about the unethical relationship between Russini and Vrabel.
Lipsyte stated that Russini and Vrabel “should know better.”
“They were operating very flagrantly,” he added. “The blatancy of it is shocking.”
The article notes that Russini never alerted any of her superiors about her conflict of interest. McBride added that the Sedona photos were a bad look, at a minimum.
MORE: Leaked Dianna Russini Texts in Bombshell Report Provide Major Hint About Next Career Move After Mike Vrabel Scandal
“Even someone working in local news knows, if you were seen in a hot tub with a local coach, that wouldn’t be OK,” McBride said. “Stuff like that gets around fast.”
The article also highlights an incident when Russini called a cop’s favorite NFL head coach during a traffic stop to get out of receiving a ticket for texting and driving. McBride said that Russini was abusing her professional access for personal gain.
While Russini found this story funny and talked about it during a podcast appearance, The Athletic did not. A Times Company spokesperson, Danielle Rhoades Ha, agreed with McBride and called it “unacceptable conduct.”
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As more information comes out, the scandal just keeps getting crazier. Shortly after the photos of Russini and Vrabel were published by Page Six, the NFL insider resigned from The Athletic.
Vrabel is still the head coach of the Patriots, even after he stepped away from the team on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to attend counseling, and they have supported him publicly.
The Vrabel-Russini scandal has featured plenty of twists and turns, and it remains to be seen if additional information will come to light.
The Athletic’s investigation into Russini’s conduct is ongoing, with the findings expected to be released publicly soon.