"At Least 10 Years": Dianna Russini's alleged relationship with Mike Vrabel was reportedly known inside the NFL for at least 10 years

The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini controversy has drifted out of the daily NFL news cycle in recent weeks, but fresh comments from former USA Today reporter Crissy Froyd have pushed the story back into public view. Speaking on The Howard Eskin Show, Froyd made new claims about the alleged timeline of the relationship that has dominated league circles since April. Her remarks arrived months after photos, videos, and reports sparked widespread scrutiny of both figures, leading to Russini’s resignation from The Athletic and raising broader questions about media and NFL workplace boundaries.

Did Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini’s relationship extend back a decade?

Froyd’s most striking allegation centered on how long she believes the relationship had been known within NFL and media circles.

When host Howard Eskin asked, “How far back do you think people knew that this was going on between Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel?”, Froyd responded bluntly.


“At least 10 years,” Froyd replied. “At least 10 years. I would assume… for what I know between her and him and certainly for what I know about her, at least 10 years.”

Her comments went further than previous public reporting, which has largely focused on photos and videos dating from 2020 and 2021. Froyd suggested that what troubled her most was not simply the alleged relationship itself, but what she described as an open secret among people connected to the league.

“The biggest thing to me was the way that everyone knew and no one did anything about it, and it was obvious. To me, the worst part of it was… I would almost feel bad for her if she, like, fell in love for six months and made these horrible mistakes and she owned up to it ‘cause everybody makes mistakes in their lifetime… But you don’t make the same mistake for six years, 10 years, anything of that longevity whatsoever,” she added.

However, Froyd did not provide evidence supporting her assertion that the relationship stretched back a decade. As of now, the claim remains unverified.

Why are Froyd’s comments drawing renewed attention?

Part of the interest stems from Froyd’s insistence that she faced professional consequences for speaking publicly about matters that, according to her, many insiders already knew.

During the interview, she also criticized Russini’s since-deleted X account, saying, “The way that she had deleted her Twitter account and it appeared, at least the way I took it and the way that most people took it, that she had been like covertly bragging on that. I mean, it’s disgusting.”

Froyd has continued making similar arguments in recent months. In a Daily Mail column, she claimed multiple female reporters privately told her about relationships with NFL personnel, suggesting such situations may be more common than publicly acknowledged.

For now, the controversy remains largely fueled by allegations, leaked images, and competing narratives rather than confirmed new evidence. Yet with Vrabel expected to face reporters regularly as the season approaches, the issue may not disappear entirely. Questions that faded during the offseason could return once training camp begins and media attention intensifies.