The Real Reason an NFL Reporter Turned Down Dianna Russini as a Mentor

Welcome to the part of NFL media drama where everyone swears they did nothing wrong and the internet plays jury anyway. Here is what actually happened, who said what, and why this whole thing blew up so fast.

The quick version

• Tuesday, April 14: Dianna Russini, 43, resigns from The Athletic while the outlet is reviewing photos of her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, 50, at an Arizona resort. Page Six ran shots of them walking closely, appearing to clasp hands in one, and with arms around each other in another. Both say the pics are innocent.
• Same day: USA Today reporter Crissy Froyd, 26, posts on X responding to Russini's resignation letter with a pretty sharp goodbye.
• Wednesday, April 15: Froyd tells the Daily Caller she once turned down an offer to be mentored by Russini because of what she calls Russini's 'track record' and expands on her criticism.

Who is saying what (and why it matters)

Froyd is not a Twitter rando here. She graduated from LSU in 2021, worked stints at NBC and Sports Illustrated, and now writes for USA Today. She says someone once floated Russini as a potential mentor and she passed, claiming she had concerns based on what she had heard and seen in NFL media circles.

She also thanked the Daily Caller for, in her words, having the 'audacity' to cover her calling Russini out, and called the chatter around Russini 'the worst kept secret' in NFL reporting. Froyd acknowledged she is getting blowback online and tried to head it off by addressing her own personal life: she says she did have a sexual relationship with former college quarterback JT Daniels, but only after he retired from football, and she insists it was never for professional gain.

'I can honestly say I have never slept with a player or coach for professional gain. Dianna cannot say the same.'

That is Froyd's allegation, not a verified fact. Russini has not publicly addressed Froyd's specific claims.

So why did Russini resign?

The Athletic was conducting an internal review after the Page Six photos circulated. Russini and Vrabel have both maintained that the Arizona resort images were harmless. In her resignation letter, Russini defended her body of work, said she has covered the NFL with professionalism, and noted The Athletic initially backed her and expressed confidence in her reporting. She said the online speculation got detached from facts, the review kept springing leaks, and she had no interest in being part of a public spectacle that, in her view, was already causing too much damage.

What to watch next

Two tracks to keep an eye on: whether The Athletic shares anything from its review now that Russini is out, and whether the Patriots address any part of this with Vrabel. For now, all we have are the photos, the resignation, and dueling narratives — with a lot of industry gossip filling the gaps.