Dianna Russini’s Friend Predicts NFL Comeback After Mike Vrabel Scandal: ‘She’ll Be Back’

Dianna Russini‘s time working with the NFL might not be over just yet.

Russini, 43, could potentially make her way back into the world of sports journalism after her abrupt exit earlier this year, according to her former colleague and longtime NFL writer Mike Silver.

“I do think she’s going to be back, probably not as an insider, at least in the short term,” Silver, 60, said during an appearance on the Tom Tolbert Show on Tuesday, August 25. “But I think she’ll be back in this realm, probably talking about football and other things pretty soon.”

Silver worked with Russini at The Athletic before she resigned in April amid an internal investigation related to her alleged relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

Even though Russini’s departure was surrounded by controversy, Silver had nothing but praise for her work as an NFL insider.

“[I’m] really, really proud of the journalism we did together and honestly just really bummed that we don’t get to continue it because we worked really well together,” he said.

Silver also gave listeners a brief update on how Russini and her family have been doing in the months since the fallout from the scandal.

“I do know her family,” he said. “She’s got a great family. And so, you know, a lot of people have had a lot of thoughts about it.”

While Silver didn’t weigh in on the controversy himself, he added that Russini “is doing a lot better and her family’s doing well.”

As Globe previously reported, Russini stepped down from The Athletic after Page Six published photos reportedly taken in March that showed her and Vrabel, 51, looking cozy at an Arizona resort. Both initially denied that anything inappropriate had happened between them.

More photos and videos later surfaced, and Vrabel eventually revealed he was seeking counseling. He missed the final day of the NFL Draft to focus on his family.

Russini and Vrabel are both married to other people. She shares two sons — Michael, 4, and Joey, 3 — with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, while Vrabel has been married to Jen Vrabel since 1999. They share sons Tyler, 26, and Carter, 24.