The former Athletic and ESPN insider is expected to launch a new show roughly seven months after resigning amid the Mike Vrabel controversy.
Dianna Russini is reportedly about to re-enter sports media, months after she resigned from The Athletic following Page Six's publication of photos showing her with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at an adults-only Arizona resort in April. Multiple outlets, citing a Pro Football Talk report, say Russini has told people around the NFL she expects to return to the industry next week, with a launch possibly coming as soon as Wednesday, November 11.
The exact platform is still unsettled. Reports point to sponsorship from gambling operators, with offshore sportsbook BetUS teasing the arrival of a prominent NFL personality. There have also reportedly been talks with Jake Paul's Betr platform and with iHeart. A new X/Twitter account titled "Russini Report" has also surfaced.
Not everyone is thrilled about the comeback. WFAN host Gregg Giannotti questioned why Russini would want back into NFL media at all, suggesting she could do pretty much anything else instead. Meanwhile, Vrabel has spent the season focused on coaching the Patriots, but Russini's return threatens to drag the April controversy back into the spotlight.