Athletic executive editor admits mistake in handling of Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal in meeting with staff

Steven Ginsberg, the executive editor at The Athletic, addressed the growing scandal involving Dianna Russini, a former NFL insider at the New York Times-owned company, and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, in an all-hands meeting lasting about 10 minutes on Wednesday, according to Front Office Sports.

In a prepared statement, Ginsberg explained that communication could have been clearer with his staff — and that the ongoing investigation by The Athletic‘s editorial director for standards and editorial quality Mike Semel, is expected to be lengthy. 

It was the first general all-hands meeting with The Athletic’s staff since Page Six broke the story and published photos on April 7 showing Vrabel and Russini, who are both married to other people, holding hands while at a resort in Arizona last month.

Ginsberg reportedly did not take questions during the all-hands meeting, but said that he is available to his staff.

No other details were given about the investigation.

A spokesperson for The Athletic declined to comment.

Russini — who has two young sons with her husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt — resigned from the sports website on April 14.

She has since deactivated her X account.

The reported all-hands meeting took place after Page Six published more photos of Vrabel Russini on April 23, showing the pair kissing while at a Tribeca Tavern in March of 2020 — when he was coaching for the Tennessee Titans and she was an NFL insider at ESPN.

The 2020 images of Vrabel and Russini — taken six months before she married her now-husband — show the pair sitting closely on barstools in the dimly-lit bar in the early hours of the morning on March 11.

“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told Page Six. “He had a ring on.”

Vrabel addressed the situation for the first time before the 2026 NFL Draft, telling reporters it’s a “personal and private matter” and that he’s had “difficult conversations with people I care about.”

He described the conversations as “positive and productive.”

The coach also said he discussed it in-house with his players, but made no mention of Russini.

Vrabel, who has two sons with his wife, Jen, spent the first two nights of the draft with the Patriots before he sought counsel during draft weekend.

The Patriots supported Vrabel’s “decision to prioritize his family first as well as his own well-being” in a statement.

The NFL said that it is not investigating Vrabel’s behavior, and he was not disciplined by the Patriots organization.