For weeks, the sports world has been buzzing about the relationship between NFL insider Dianna Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. But one key voice stayed quiet—until now.
Chase Daniel, who co-hosted Scoop City with Russini on The Athletic, finally addressed the controversy during an appearance on Jim Rome's radio show Thursday. The former NFL quarterback kept his comments measured, but his words offered a rare peek behind the curtain.
“Look, that’s something that’s just unfortunate in many different ways,” Daniel said, via Awful Announcing. “We haven’t really chatted about it. We haven’t done any of that, so I’m going to leave that there. That’s their business.”
Daniel and Russini recorded their last episode together on March 5, just weeks before Page Six published photos of Russini and Vrabel hugging and holding hands at an Arizona hotel. TMZ later added fuel to the fire by digging up a 2021 video of the pair on a boat—while Russini was pregnant with her first child.
The timing of that outing raised eyebrows, but TMZ reported that both signed a company waiver before the boat trip and that there was no visible PDA. The outlet also noted that Vrabel asked for no images to be posted publicly.
Daniel, who spent nearly two years breaking down NFL storylines with Russini, made it clear he’s not the one to tell this story. “It has turned into quite the assignment,” he added. “It’s like TMZ is covering it, the Wall Street Journal, all these things are covering it, so I’m sure she’ll land on her feet somewhere.”
That reluctance to spill details echoes what Jon “Stugotz” Weiner, a former ESPN colleague of Russini, said earlier. Weiner insisted it's her story to share on her own timeline. “It is not my obligation to talk to Dianna Russini privately on the phone and then share it with a radio audience,” Weiner said.
Russini has been silent since resigning from The Athletic, reportedly focusing on her family. But speculation about her next move hasn't slowed. New Jersey sports reporter Nikki Gist hinted that when Russini does speak, she could “take half the industry down with her.”
The scandal has even seeped into NFL culture, with some teams reportedly mocking the situation in schedule release videos. That prompted Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy to threaten legal action over the jokes.
For now, Daniel’s brief comments are the closest we’ve gotten to an inside perspective. He summed it up simply: “That’s their business.”
