Dianna Russini Returns to NFL Reporting After Time Away

Dianna Russini has resumed her role as an NFL reporter, sharing insights following her recent absence. In the first episode of her new show, “The Russini Report,” she candidly discussed her time away from the industry.

“Over the last few months, I have had a lot of time to think about my life and my priorities and the person that I want to be moving forward,” Russini expressed. “Being home in New Jersey with my husband and our two little boys and being truly present, it gave me so much perspective that I didn’t even know I needed.”

During her break, Russini engaged in meaningful conversations with individuals in the football community about both the sport and life. She expressed gratitude to those who checked in on her, offering encouragement and sincere advice.

“Those conversations helped me find my way back to the work I love and back to myself right here hosting the show,” Russini stated. “Anyone who knows me knows I have always been obsessed with the NFL. But maybe because I wasn’t around it so much the last few months, my passion for covering this league has never been stronger. I’m so grateful for this chance to do it again.”

Russini’s return to the NFL spotlight comes seven months after she left The Athletic. Her resignation followed a controversy involving photos of her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, which were published by Page Six. The images showed them at a hotel in Arizona, at a New York bar in 2020, and renting a boat in Tennessee in 2021.

While she didn’t address this issue on her show, she mentioned it during an interview with PEOPLE. Russini explained that she and her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, had removed their X/Twitter accounts due to the out-of-control rumors. “This was a runaway train, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Once we realized nothing was going to stop this, it became unhealthy for us to read it because it wasn’t helping us heal,” she reflected. “It was piling on and adding to what we were already dealing with.”

Prior to her stint with The Athletic, Russini was a prominent NFL reporter for ESPN, holding that position from 2015 to 2023.