Stephen A. Smith found a fresh way to stir the pot around the New England Patriots’ ugly start, and this one landed on Dianna Russini.
During Thursday’s appearance on First Take, Smith never said Russini’s name out loud, but the target was obvious. He pointed to the offseason situation involving Mike Vrabel and suggested it left the coach distracted.
“We all know that Mike Vrabel was in the news in the offseason for some personal matters. And I think it’s fair to say he was a bit distracted,” Smith said on First Take.
That comment drew attention because it came while Smith was discussing the Patriots’ rough opening to the season. New England’s problems have not exactly been subtle. The team reached the Super Bowl last season with Drake Maye playing subpar football, and the issues have only kept piling up this year.
Maye has continued to struggle, and the turnover numbers tell the story. He has thrown six interceptions through three games. In Week 3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he also had the internet laughing after losing a phantom fumble with no pressure on him.
Smith’s jab also put Russini back in the middle of a story she’s already been tied to for months. She is currently out of work after leaving The Athletic earlier this year, following an investigation by her former employer into allegations of an improper relationship with Vrabel.
Photos and videos of Russini and Vrabel circulating in public have fueled the speculation, including an image of them sharing a kiss at a New York City bar in March 2020. Their April meeting in Sedona, just months after New England’s Super Bowl 60 loss, also became part of the conversation.
There have been rumors that Russini could return to NFL reporting in 2026. Her name has also been linked to possible work with Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Sports.
For now, though, her future in insider reporting remains uncertain, especially with the Vrabel fallout still hanging over the whole situation.
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The problem for New England is that this is not just about one bad game, because Mayes confidence is part of the equation and the alternative under center does not look like a clean upgrade. For a team already trying to stabilize its offense, any move now would carry real risk, and the Patriots appear to be heading into a stretch where the bigger question is not whether the noise will grow, but how long they can afford to let it linger without making a move. [Read more 🡒]