What did The Athletic really find about Mike Vrabel? Inside the Dianna Russini investigation and his “We’re moved on” response

Mike Vrabel has made it clear that he does not want to revisit the controversy involving former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. After The Athletic released its findings on Thursday, September 3, the New England Patriots head coach was asked about the report during a press conference. Vrabel gave a short answer, saying, “We’re moved on,” before turning his attention to the Patriots’ upcoming season and their preparation for Seattle.What did Mike Vrabel say about Dianna Russini?Vrabel was asked about The Athletic’s investigation only hours after the report was published. He did not give his opinion on the findings and chose not to discuss his relationship with Russini.“No, I don’t have any reaction, no,” Vrabel told reporters. “We’re moved on,” he continued.Vrabel then made it clear where he wants his attention to be as the Patriots get ready for the new season.“We’re moved on and focused on Seattle and focused on the Patriots and focused on getting better this week,” he said.The reporter then asked Vrabel if he believed the situation with Russini was now fully behind him. Once again, the Patriots coach did not go into any details about the controversy.“I try to just say that I’ve moved on, and excited about this opportunity here as we start this season,” Vrabel said.His comments came as New England prepares for its season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on September 9. For Vrabel, the focus is now on his team and getting ready for the start of the 2026 NFL season.What did The Athletic’s investigation find about Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini?The Athletic released its internal investigation on Thursday, with Mike Semel, the outlet’s editorial director for standards and editorial quality, overseeing the review.The report found that Russini’s relationship with Vrabel violated The Athletic’s standards because she did not disclose it to the company.“Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards. Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed,” Semel wrote in the report.The investigation did not establish the exact nature of Russini and Vrabel’s relationship. More importantly, the review did not find evidence that Russini’s reporting showed favoritism toward Vrabel or that he gave her information that other NFL reporters could not access.Semel carried out a broad review of Russini’s work. According to the report, he examined 903 stories published under her byline, along with dozens of videos and hundreds of podcast episodes. He also interviewed 14 members of The Athletic’s staff who had worked with Russini.The review found that Russini’s reporting was not mainly based on Vrabel. Her sources were spread across the NFL, and the investigation did not find signs that her work depended on her relationship with the Patriots coach.Still, The Athletic said the relationship should have been disclosed. That would have allowed Russini’s editors to decide whether there were stories involving Vrabel or the Patriots that she should not cover.“She did not,” Semel wrote.Russini resigned from The Athletic in April, shortly after photos of her and Vrabel at a resort became public. She has not returned to work since leaving the outlet.Vrabel, meanwhile, has continued with his job as Patriots head coach. With New England’s season opener approaching, he has chosen to leave the controversy behind and focus on his team’s preparation for Seattle.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.