Chase Daniel, a former colleague of ex-NYT reporter Dianna Russini, has broken his silence on her messy relationship with Mike Vrabel. On Thursday, May 14, Daniel, who played for NFL teams such as the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions, called the situation “unfortunate” before sharing his thoughts on what her future in media could look like.
While appearing on “The Jim Rome Show,” Daniel, who hosted the “Scoop City” podcast with Russini for the New York Times’ sports brand, The Athletic, called her messy siutationship with Vrabel “unfortunate” before adding that he hasn’t thought much about it.
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“We haven’t really chatted about it. We haven’t done any of that, so I’m going to leave that there. That’s their business,” he said.
Continuing, the retired NFL player said that while the story between Vrabel and Russini has taken on a life of its own, he doesn’t think it’s the end of the senior reporter’s career.
“It has turned into quite the assignment of everything, it’s like TMZ is covering it, the Wall Street Journal, all these things are covering it, so I’m sure she’ll land on her feet somewhere and that’s all I’ll really say about that,” he said.
Russini and Vrabel have been the topic of conversation since late March 2026, according to a previous report from The Blast.
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At the time, photos of Vrabel and Russini getting cozy at an Arizona resort were shared online.
In one photo, the New England Patriots head coach is holding hands with the former senior NFL reporter, while in another, they’re spotted hugging. Another picture showed the pair lying out by the pool together.
According to a source, Vrabel and Russini, both married to other people, were reportedly together for hours at the resort, visiting the pool and other amenities.
The insider also claimed that they spent a portion of the afternoon together in a pricey $2,100/night bungalow on the resort’s roof.
Vrabel initially dismissed the photos as anything serious. In fact, he called the matter “laughable,” while Russini said the images only showed one side of the story.
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“Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues,” she said.
Days later, the story continued to grow, leading to Russini’s resignation from the NYT. In her statement, Russini said that, despite covering the league and its stars for years, she had chosen to step away from her job, hoping that it would quiet the noise.
“When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” she said.
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