Mike Vrabel And Dianna Russini Pool Photos Spark Speculation As Russini Responds
Like a defense waiting for the snap on fourth down, the NFL world is on its toes watching this one.
Poolside hugs and hand-holding between a married NFL head coach and a national reporter at a luxury resort tend to get people talking in a hurry. On Tuesday, Page Six dropped exclusive photos showing New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic NFL reporter Dianna Russini at the Ambiente resort, where the two were seen lounging side by side in the pool, embracing, and appearing to hold hands.
Real steamy stuff…
Both Vrabel and Russini are married, and the images quickly made the rounds on social media, sparking plenty of flirty speculation.
Vrabel, 50, had been in Tempe on an Arizona State scouting visit. Russini, 43, was in town for a hiking trip with friends. The two go back — Russini has covered Vrabel dating to his Tennessee Titans tenure starting in 2018, which at the very least raises the appearance of a potential conflict of interest given her role as an NFL insider.
As talks picked up on this "sexy" meet-up, the reporter responded to the buzz by calling the photos "misleading."
In a statement to Page Six, Russini said that "the photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."
Head Coach Mike Vrabel. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Reporter Dianna Russini looks on during an NFL game. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vrabel also responded directly to Page Six: "These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response."
Like a defense waiting for the snap on fourth down, the NFL world is on its toes watching this one.
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