"Next week": Dianna Russini may be ready to reclaim her NFL career as Mike Florio reveals what could happen next

Dianna Russini is planning a return to work next week, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reports. It would come almost seven months after she left The Athletic over her undisclosed relationship with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. A source says she has started telling people around the league. No employer has been named. Page Six adds that she will host her own show on a digital platform, with a focus on interviews rather than breaking news. Her comeback also arrives with a review of her work, released in September, still fresh.Dianna Russini plans to return to work next weekFlorio broke down the news on Pro Football Talk. “Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Russini has begun getting the word out to people in the league that she’ll be returning to work ‘next week,’” he wrote.He could not say who she will work for or what the role looks like.Page Six supplied part of the answer on Wednesday. Its report says Russini will front her own show on a digital platform that has not been identified. She “plans to interview players and coaches on her new show.” That suggests a quieter format than the one that built her name. For years she was known for scoops. Sit-down interviews are a different craft, and a safer one while questions about her past still follow her around. Interviews also keep the focus on her guests, which may be the point.Florio sees one clear hurdle. “If she’ll be reporting again, she’ll need to restore her own credibility,” he wrote. An interview show could let her rebuild that at her own pace. Whether audiences allow it is another question.How Dianna Russini's exit from The Athletic unfoldedRussini had been one of the more recognizable NFL insiders in the business. She resigned on April 14, one week after Page Six published photographs of her with Vrabel at an Arizona resort. An internal investigation followed. Her resignation letter included the line “I stand behind every story I have ever published,” and she rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.The Athletic released its findings in September. The outlet said the undisclosed relationship broke its standards, whether or not it was romantic. It also took issue with how she handled the first questions about the photos.The review then went through her body of work: 903 written stories, 204 podcast episodes, 77 videos and other appearances. It found no clear evidence that she used her platform to promote Vrabel or his teams. Editor’s notes were added to four pieces, one story and three videos. The vast majority of her output raised no concerns.That gives her a real talking point with any new employer. The conduct drew criticism. The journalism mostly held up. What she says about all of it once the microphone is on may decide how far this comeback goes.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.