Dianna Russini had an alleged affair with Mike Vrabel while he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots. What did she know about the recruitment of Morgan Moses?
Her deleted post from March 9, 2025 raises illegal tampering concerns.
Moses, a veteran offensive lineman in the NFL, signed with the Patriots on the first day of the legal tampering period. However, Russini’s graphic alluded to his next organization on the day prior.
Dianna Russini had an inappropriate relationship with Mike Vrabel.
The unusual arrangement between Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel is no longer a secret. We don’t know exactly who was doing what or when, but they were spotted together in remote locations on multiple different occasions over the last six years. Their alleged affair dates back to 2020.
Although both parties tried to play the whole thing off as much ado about nothing, it did not take long for their story to completely unravel. Russini resigned from her role with The Athletic. Vrabel sought counseling on the third day of the NFL Draft. You don’t resign or seek therapy if you did nothing wrong.
If that was not telling enough, new photos of Russini and Vrabel show them kissing in 2020. They also spent time at a casino in Mississippi right after he was fired by the Titans in 2024.
Everybody is innocent until they are proven guilty but how much more proof do we need? Russini frequently reported on the Titans and Patriots while actively involved with their head coach.
The optics really could not be much worse…
Meanwhile, her access to Vrabel during the pandemic raises questions about ESPN’s knowledge of the matter. Especially considering that the self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader In Sports” has barely touched the biggest scandal in sports over the last few weeks. I digress.
Did the New England Patriots tamper with Morgan Moses?
Even if Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel truly are just friends, this suspicious relationship creates a serious conflict of interest. She loses all credibility moving forward. At least for the time being.
The signing of Moses Morgan is the perfect example.
Morgan, a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, played the 2024 season with the New York Jets on a one-year contract. He signed with the Patriots on March 10, 2025.
The durable right tackle recorded a career-high 1,294 offensive snaps for New England in 2025, including the run to the Super Bowl. Moses was crucial to success.
Here is where it gets messy.
Morgan Moses signed with the New England Patriots on the first day of the legal tampering period. Russini reported on March 9 that he was “expected to hit free agency” even though the “Jets were making an effort” to keep him. It was a completely innocent report at the time. Not anymore.
Russini’s post, which has since been deleted, featured a graphic that included the Patriots logo.
And then Moses agreed to a deal with New England less than 24 hours later.
Coincidence? Perhaps.
Or, maybe, Russini had inside information from Vrabel. Maybe the Patriots already had a behind-the-scenes handshake agreement in place with the free agent prior to the legal tampering period.
We will never know the full truth of the graphic mixup but this is why it is best for Russini to step away from her job for the time being. Every single thing she tries to report will be linked to the scandal.