Mitsu Yasukawa / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
While Dianna Russini may not have her job with The Athletic anymore following allegations of an affair with New England Patriots‘ head coach Mike Vrabel, some of her biggest reporting may well have just been vindicated.
Long before the Vrabel scandal, Russini drew the ire of Philadelphia Eagles fans by repeatedly suggesting that superstar wide receiver AJ Brown was unhappy with the organization and, specifically, with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Russini reported on several occasions throughout and after the 2025-26 NFL season that Brown was interested in seeking a trade. More specifically, she reported that the New England Patriots were among the teams most interested in acquiring the three-time Pro Bowler.
That didn’t sit well with Eagles fans, who routinely called out the reporter, claiming that she was just trying to stir up drama with false reports. Those same fans then took a victory lap after Russini was forced to resign following the allegations surrounding her and Vrabel.
But now it appears that she may well get the last laugh after all.
New Reporting Shows Dianna Russini Was Right About AJ Brown All Along
On Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles were open to trading Brown, and that the Patriots were highly interested in acquiring him.
Schefter added that any potential deal likely would not come until June 1, when Brown’s massive $40 million salary hit would be split between two seasons rather than just one.
The Eagles remain open to trading AJ Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, likely culminating in a deal, per league sources.
As one source said about the Patriots’… https://t.co/00gLK5DEdh pic.twitter.com/JnCQF2wz7z
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2026
“All the elements remain in place to make it happen, and Brown to the Patriots is still the likely outcome … just not during this week’s draft,” Schefter wrote. “Put the trade on hold just for now, but things will soon quickly warm back up.
“The Eagles remain open to trading Brown, the Patriots remain highly interested in acquiring the star receiver, and conversations are expected to resume shortly on or before June 1, probably culminating in a deal.”
Does that make Russini’s alleged relationship with Vrabel okay, if they were, in fact, engaging in an affair with one another? No, of course not.
However, it does make Eagles fans look silly for suggesting that her reporting was baseless this entire time.