10
Loading video...
By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Former NFL insider Dianna Russini appears to be just days away from her return to sports media, nearly seven months after she resigned from The Athletic.
ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio first reported this week that Russini has been telling people around the league she expects to be back at work next week. On Friday, Front Office Sports shed more light on what that comeback could look like.
According to FOS, Russini is expected to launch new content sponsored by gambling operators, with talks reportedly held with Jake Paul’s Betr platform as well as BetUS, an offshore sportsbook based in Costa Rica. One source told the outlet Russini has also spoken with iHeart.
Read More on NFL
FOS also discovered an X account titled “The Russini Report,” created in October, which indicates a weekly show airing live on Wednesdays covering NFL news, injuries, and analysis. The page previously said the show would be “powered by BetUS,” but that language has since been removed.
Russini stopped responding to FOS when asked about the three companies, and her publicist declined to comment. BetUS, Betr, and iHeart did not respond to the outlet’s requests for comment either.
...
Page Six reported Wednesday that Russini will headline her own show on a digital platform, with a source saying the project has been in the works for some time.
Some potential landing spots have already been ruled out. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who previously said he would consider hiring Russini, told FOS this week she won’t be joining Barstool. Sources also told FOS that Kalshi, Underdog, and FanDuel are not in the running to sponsor her content.
Florio has previously questioned whether Russini can rebuild her career and trust with an audience in a role that requires readers to accept her reporting as fact.
The 43-year-old Russini left ESPN for The Athletic in 2023 to become its lead NFL insider. Her tenure ended abruptly in April after Page Six published photos of her and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel together at an adults-only resort in Arizona, where the two were seen holding hands and hugging.
Russini resigned roughly a week after the photos surfaced, while The Athletic was investigating her conduct. In her resignation letter, she pushed back on the narrative surrounding her and Vrabel and said she didn’t want the story to define her career.
Vrabel later said he had “difficult conversations” with his family and missed the third day of the NFL draft to attend counseling.
In September, The Athletic released the results of its investigation, which found Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in “clear violation of The Athletic’s standards” and should have been disclosed to editors, regardless of whether it was romantic.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines