Dave Portnoy confirms Dianna Russini's imminent media return won't be with Barstool Sports
Dave Portnoy confirms Dianna Russini's imminent media return won't be with Barstool Sports
Matthew Neschis Fri, November 6, 2026 at 2:08 AM UTC
0
Dave Portnoy confirmed that Dianna Russini will not be joining Barstool Sports -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)
Dianna Russini will not be taking her talents to Barstool Sports as the longtime NFL insider pursues a comeback to sports media.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Russini has already begun “getting the word out” to people in NFL circles that she’ll be returning to the league “next week.” The former Athletic pundit resigned in April after a series of leaked photos uncovered her close relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Though Barstool Sports was widely considered to be the "leading candidate" to secure Russini's services, Dave Portnoy told Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel that she would not be joining his media company.
• Dianna Russini 'in talks to launch own show' after Mike Vrabel controversy
• Dianna Russini hinting at media return 'next week' after Mike Vrabel scandal
“A few months ago @stoolpresidente said he would consider hiring Dianna Russini at Barstool,” Glasspiegel wrote on X. “Nevertheless, he tells @fos that Barstool is not her apparent looming destination.”
Back in July, Portnoy stated it would be a "no-brainer" to bring Russini on board at Barstool Sports. "If she wanted to work here, we'd do it,” he told US Weekly at the time.
“An affair is not like a murder. It’s bad, but I’m not in the family. She’ll land somewhere, and you know, if people who have affairs are never allowed to work again in this country, you’re gonna lose a significant amount of the workforce. It is obviously really sad, but at the same time, that’s not like a capital offense that should end somebody’s professional career.”
Yet internet personality Dan “Big Cat” Katz expressed doubt that Russini would want to work under the Barstool banner, despite the fact that she previously made regular appearances on his Pardon My Take show.
Advertisement
Russini is eyeing a return to the sports media landscape -Credit:Getty Images
“I don’t know if she’d want to work with us,” Katz told Front Office Sports in April. “Because we’ve made some jokes, and I totally understand, but we have to make the jokes that we make. It sucks that she had to leave her job. I think a lot of it was her own doing.
“But we’re in a time now where you can be independant. She can start a Substack. She can start her own podcast. And if you are someone who has an audience or can break news, people will follow that.
"So, there is a second act somewhere for her. I don’t know exactly what it looks like. There’s just too many avenues that people can take, especially the independant route, and make a good living in the sports world, that I would be shocked if that was it for her.”
Following a weeks-long internal investigation, The Athletic declared that Russini's association with Vrabel represented a "clear violation" of newsroom standards.
• Russell Wilson eyes major career change months after landing CBS gig on NFL retirement
• Mike Vrabel raises eyebrows with Tom Brady 'catch-up' remarks ahead of Patriots reunion
The publication conducted a comprehensive review of her body of work, examining 903 stories and 77 videos published on its platforms that carried her byline, co-byline, or contributor credit. The Athletic also scrutinized 204 episodes of Russini's Scoop City podcast, as well as 25 off-platform appearances the 43-year-old made.
During the inquiry, 14 staff members who worked alongside Russini were questioned, while 75 of the outlet's articles covering Vrabel's teams were directly compared against competitors' reporting.
Following The Athletic's inquiry, Russini is reportedly planning to share her side of the story once she lands a new position. Speaking to Page Six in September, an insider familiar with the situation disclosed that Russini "hopes to speak on the matter and move past it once and for all."
Despite fielding numerous interview requests from networks, podcasts, and reality television shows, Russini declined all inquiries so that she could speak "on her own terms at the right time."
Source: “AOL Sports”
