Dianna Russini Reportedly Turns Down Raise From ESPN To Accept NFL Insider Job With The Athletic

The hits just keep coming at ESPN, and the latest hit appears to be by choice, as NFL reporter Dianna Russini has reportedly decided to leave the network for The Athletic.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN offered Russini a raise to stay, but not even an increased salary could keep the 40-year-old in Bristol. The Post notes that negotiations between ESPN and Russini were "going well," but she decided taking the leap to The Athletic was a better move.

Russini is expected to "start soon" at The Athletic where she will not only appear in videos and on podcasts but write NFL stories as well.

The loss of Russini comes at what certainly feels like a pivotal time for ESPN as it has laid off well over a dozen well-known personalities over the last handful of weeks including Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, and Ashley Brewer just to name a few.

At the end of the day, Russini is leaving one employer in flux for another that has plenty of moving parts right now.

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The New York Times bought The Athletic for $550 million a year ago and recently decided to shut down its own sports desk to fold into The Athletic. The Times’ plan is expected to move around 40 sportswriters to other assignments, while The Athletic staff will handle daily sports coverage.

Russini is a notable get for The Athletic as it appears to be diving further into the video world. She is certainly a recognizable name, face, and extremely well connected in NFL circles.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.