Report: Anonymous tipster ‘shopped’ Mike Vrabel, Diana Russini pictures, requested payment

Page Six of the New York Post was the first one to run photos of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianni Russini together in an Arizona hotel. Turns out, they are not the ones who sent photographers there.

According to Front Office Sports, an “anonymous tipster” was the one who provided the now-viral photos. The tipster was looking for payment and reached out to multiple outlets. FOS added that the price was four figures but did not have an exact amount.

“An anonymous tipster reached out to the outlet, saying that Vrabel was hanging out with an unidentified woman,” FOS said. “When TMZ staffers evaluated the photos, they eventually realized that it was Russini. The anonymous tipster was not from a known paparazzi or photo agency, and requested an unspecified sum in the ‘four figures.’ As TMZ’s newsroom deliberated whether this was a legitimate story or too ‘bedroom police-y,’ the Post’s Page Six vertical ran with it, rendering the debate moot, a source said.”

Multiple shots were released of Vrabel and Russini, one of which shows them hugging. Some hand-holding also looks in place, seemingly interlocking fingers. Finally, some pool time saw them lying out together in the sun. All of this took place in Arizona, where the NFL League Meetings had just taken place.

Vrabel just wrapped up his first season in New England after being the long-time head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Russini has been an NFL reporter for quite some time, currently working for The Athletic.

New England Patriots enjoy first season under Mike Vrabel

New England quickly turned into the NFL’s surprise team, finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record with Vrabel as their head coach. An AFC East title was back in their possession for the first time since 2019, when Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were still involved.

But as usual with the Patriots, the playoffs are where people are judged. Thankfully for Vrabel and his team, they passed with flying colors. Three victories put them into the Super Bowl. New England beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round before taking care of business in the Divisional Round vs. the Houston Texans. Finally, a snowy afternoon in Denver propelled them to beat the Broncos on the road.

Unfortunately, the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks did not go so well. But Vrabel and everyone else involved will expect to once again be in contention in 2026.