New York Times Opens Review Into NFL Reporter Russini After Sedona Photos Surface

The New York Times Company is reviewing coverage by NFL reporter Dianna Russini involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel after photos of the two together at an Arizona resort prompted internal concern, according to ESPN reporting.

Russini, who works for The Times-owned The Athletic, has been sidelined while the review is ongoing, a source said.

The images, published this week by the New York Post's Page Six, show Russini and Vrabel together at a luxury hotel in Sedona, including by a pool, in a hot tub and on a rooftop deck. Some appear to show the pair embracing and holding hands.

Both Russini and Vrabel, who are married to other people, have maintained the interaction was platonic and taken out of context. Russini said the photos did not reflect that they were part of a larger group gathering, while Vrabel called any suggestion of impropriety laughable.

The Athletic initially defended Russini. Executive editor Steven Ginsberg said the images lacked context and depicted public interactions among multiple people. The outlet has since expanded its review after additional reporting raised questions about Russini's coverage of Vrabel and the nature of their relationship.

Editors are seeking to verify claims that others were present during the resort encounter. No stories under Russini's byline have been published since the photos surfaced earlier this week.

The review is ongoing and expected to take time. Russini is among the highest-paid reporters at The Times Company and her contract is set to expire later this year.

Russini has been a prominent NFL reporter for The Athletic, covering the league's coaching landscape and high-profile hirings. Her coverage of Vrabel, who begins his first season as Patriots head coach, is now under scrutiny precisely because of that beat assignment.