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Photos emerged showing New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with The Athletic/New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort earlier this week, and now that reporter is the subject of an internal investigation.
Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg initially provided a statement to the New York Post’s Page Six on April 7, calling the photos “misleading.”
“These images are misleading and lack significant context,” Ginsberg initially said. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a leading journalist covering the NFL and we are proud to have her at The Athletic.”
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Cars and taxis drive past the New York Times sign above the entrance to the newspaper’s headquarters in Times Square in New York City on January 27, 2023. (Yuriy T/iStock)
Now, sources at The Athletic familiar with the controversy tell Pakinomist that Digital Russini is being investigated while standing by Ginsberg’s initial statement.
The sources responded to Pakinomist Digital after Page Six and Front Office Sports reported on the internal investigation into Russini.
“After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment on Tuesday, The Athletic immediately began an investigation. While the apparent behavior in the photos raised questions for Steven and management at The Athletic, an initial review indicated that the photos lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends,” a source said.
“New details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns that are now being further reviewed. The investigation is ongoing.”
The source added that Russini’s coverage is being reviewed, which is expected to take time, and she will not report to the outlet in the meantime.
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates after the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colo. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The New York Times declined to comment.
the pictures, originally published by Page Six, show the trainer and reporter holding hands and hugging on the roof of a resort bungalow in Sedona, Arizona.
Addressing the photos, Vrabel told Page Six, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any other suggestion is ridiculous. This does not deserve any further response.”
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the sideline during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Foxborough, Mass., Jan. 11, 2026. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Russini told the magazine, “The photos do not represent the group of six people who hung out during the day. Like most reporters in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The photographs and subsequent responses became the subject of a huge national debate in the sports world this week.
