The Los Angeles Chargers have made subtle digs at the viral photo scandal surrounding New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL reporter Dianna Russini as part of their 2026 schedule reveal video.
In March, Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43 — both married to other people — were pictured holding hands and hugging at a luxury resort in Arizona. In the weeks since the initial photos were published, additional images of Russini and Vrabel, captured over the past few years, have resurfaced. While Vrabel has issued an apology for his behavior (without addressing the nature of the relationship), Russini has stayed silent following her resignation from The Athletic.
The Chargers have referenced the headline-making drama in the team’s 2026 schedule release video, which was created using the popular video game Halo and shared Thursday on the team’s social media accounts.
When the segment announced the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Patriots — halfway through the six-minute video — an icon on the bottom right corner read: “NYPost sent you a message.” The New York Post was the publication that originally shared those photos of Vrabel and Russini in Arizona together.
Another apparent reference to the pair was a neon green sign that read, “Next photo dump one mile.”
Many social media users on X were amused by the clip, with one writing: “I AM F***ing CRYING THEY ANNIHILATED THE PATRIOTS…perfection once again from the chargers
“Chargers social media team absolutely FRIED Mike Vrabel, I’m f***ing crying,” another wrote.
“Okay, it’s official. The Chargers took a shot at Mike Vrabel & Dianna Russini,” a third posted. “Not surprised at all. Vrabel and the Patriots probably should’ve known this was a possibility…”
This past month, multiple photos of Vrabel and Russini have been published, including one that appeared to show them kissing at a New York City tavern in March 2020 — months before the sports journalist married Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt.
Last week, TMZ shared pictures of Vrabel and Russini — who was pregnant with her first child at the time — walking together on a dock before getting on a boat that they had reportedly privately rented for a few hours in Putnam County, Tennessee, in 2021.
After she was photographed with Vrabel in Arizona, Russini resigned from her role at The Athletic, where she closely followed the coach’s team. Although she has stayed silent about the photo scandal, The New York Times, which owns the sports outlet, is currently conducting an internal investigation into the situation.
Vrabel, who has remained with the Patriots, initially shrugged off the accusations and called them “laughable.” However, he addressed the situation with reporters ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft and said he would skip part of the event.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” he said April 22. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
Vrabel and his wife, Jen, share two children: Tyler (offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons), 25, and Carter, 24. Russini shares two sons with Goldschmidt.