Who Are Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini? Breaking Down the Viral Affair Rumors Involving the Patriots Coach and NFL Reporter

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini are caught in the middle of affair rumors.

Now-viral photos show the pair holding hands, hugging and lounging poolside — despite both being married to other people. As the buzz swirls, OK! takes a deep dive into the speculation after Vrabel and Russini shut it down.

Before joining the Patriots, Vrabel served as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023.

His coaching history began with his alma mater, Ohio State, in 2011, following his retirement from the NFL after the 2010 season. He then worked as Ohio State's defensive line coach before joining the Houston Texans as linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016 and as defensive coordinator in 2017.

In 2024, Vrabel had a stint as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

Russini currently works as a senior NFL Insider for The New York Times' sports journalism department, The Athletic. She joined the sports news outlet and digital publication in August 2023 after leaving ESPN.

"It wasn't a situation where ESPN didn't want me. I love ESPN. They've given me so much opportunity and the people I've worked with were incredible," she clarified when she left the cable company. "It was a really difficult decision for me, for my family. But it really came down to recognizing at ESPN I wasn't going to change roles."

She added, "There was no elevation there for me based on my conversations with the company. They did not have a vision outside of what I currently do. The Athletic, through conversations I had with all the people in charge, just has an endless amount of roles and ideas for me. They want information. They want a storyteller. They want someone with personality… Once I realized they were pretty much handing me over a blank sheet of paper that basically just said go be who you want to be, I realized that this could change my life. The Athletic showed that they value me more than ESPN, for sure."

In addition to her work as an NFL reporter, Russini hosts her "Scoop City: Inside the NFL" podcast on Spotify alongside Chase Daniel and James Palmer.

The former NFL player is married to his college sweetheart, Jen Vrabel. They tied the knot in 1999 and have two children, Tyler and Carter.

Meanwhile, Dianna has been married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt since September 2020. The couple, who started dating in 2015, share two children.

Two months before the affair rumors erupted, the journalist joked about divorcing Kevin during a February appearance on "Stugotz and Company."

"We're getting divorced at the end of the year," she quipped, adding they were "going through it."

"Sorry, Kev," Dianna remarked jokingly. "He doesn't even know who I am right now...we've never been more disconnected in our lives. Our text messages look like two robots."

She also joked about having "a lot [of] work to do" on their marriage after the Super Bowl.

The affair rumors picked up steam when Page Six published seven photos on April 7, in which Mike and Dianna were seen holding hands, hugging and lounging in a pool and a hot tub at Ambiente Resort in Sedona, Ariz.

A source told the outlet the two had breakfast on the patio of the luxurious hotel on March 28 before enjoying an hour of downtime. They were later spotted on the private rooftop of one of the hotel's bungalows.

Although they insisted they were with friends who were not visible in the pictures, one eyewitness said they did not see anyone else with Mike and Dianna at the time.

In a statement to the New York Post, Mike said the photos "show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable."

"This doesn't deserve any further response," he added.

Dianna responded to the speculation in a separate statement, saying, "The photos don't represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."

Steven Ginsberg, The Athletic's executive editor, blasted the photos and defended his reporter: "These photos are misleading and lack essential context. These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL, and we're proud to have her at The Athletic."

She is now under investigation by her employer after the photos were released.