NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from The Athletic in April 2026 following the publication of photos showing her with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Ever since then, the two have been under constant scrutiny. Questions have grown about her role as an Associated Press awards voter and whether a conflict of interest exists.
Russini has cast one of 50 ballots for the AP's annual NFL awards since 2022. The controversy centres on whether her voting should be reviewed, given her personal association with Vrabel, who won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award during that period.
The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, is continuing its investigation into Russini's reporting. However, the Associated Press has remained silent on whether it will investigate Russini's voting ballots. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the AP had not responded to two emails asking whether it planned to review her voting patterns.
NFL podcaster Tony Farmer raised the issue directly. Speaking on his show Tony Talks Football, he said, "The Associated Press will not release Dianna Russini's Coach of the Year ballot, even though they did last year. Not only will the Associated Press not release the ballot like they did last year, they won't even give us an explanation into why they won't release the ballot like they did last year. I reached out to the Associated Press over 30 days ago now and asked them a couple questions. No response."
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{{/usCountry}}Florio also wrote that the AP had previously declined to release Russini's ballot. He explained why it matters, noting that Vrabel won the Coach of the Year award with 302 points and 19 first-place votes.
The awards carry real financial consequences
The AP awards carry significant weight. Players often have contractual incentives tied to winning them. Fans can also vote on who they believe should win, and the NFL devotes an entire night of primetime television, known as NFL Honors, to the ceremony.
NFL analysts noted that Russini's ballot alone would not confirm any bias. Matthew Stafford won the MVP award, meaning even if Russini had voted in a particular way for Coach of the Year, the broader outcome of that award would need to be examined separately.
Vrabel addressed the situation publicly. Speaking to reporters, he said: "I've had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organisation, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive."
As of the time of reporting, the AP had yet to address Russini's future as an awards voter. Analysts noted the organisation would likely have to comment on the matter at some point, given the wide-ranging implications of the awards.