One of the most notable ESPN NFL reporters is leaving the network. According to the New York Post, Dianna Russini is leaving ESPN for The Athletic to be its top NFL insider. ESPN reportedly offered a raise to Russini, but she chose to join The Athletic. It’s not clear when Russini will officially join The Athletic, but she is expected to start soon and will write stories and appear on its video platforms and podcasts.
ESPN wanted to keep Russini despite the network laying off around 20 hosts/reporters. Russini decided to leave even though talks with ESPN were going well. The New York Post says Lindsey Thiry is expected to transition into being a full-time NFL TV reporter for ESPN, while Kimberly Martin and Jeff Darlington could also see more air time on the network.
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Russini joined ESPN in July 2015 and has contributed to NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown, Fantasy Football Now, Get Up, SportsCenter, and ESPN Radio. As a reporter, Russini has broken multiple NFL stories, including the Philadelphia Eagles trading for A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans in 2022, Aaron Rodgers’ new contract details and Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford and Robert Woods’ injuries during the 2021 season. She has also covered the Super Bowl the last two seasons for ESPN and has worked as a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football in 2019.
Russini started as an anchor for SportsCenter before transitioning into an NFL reporter in 2017. Before joining ESPN, Russini was a sports anchor at WRC-TV in Washington D.C. She also worked as an anchor and reporter for both news and sports for NBC Connecticut as well as working for Comcast Sports in Seattle, WNBC in New York City and News 12 in Westchester, New York. Russini attended George Mason University where she played soccer for four years.
In a previous interview, Russini talked about being a female sports reporter in a male-dominated sports world. “You make a decision when you walk into a clubhouse about what type of reporter you want to be,” she said per the George Mason alumni website. “There are dozens of successful avenues, but you have to work overtime to match everyone else, especially in the NFL. You have to know the material and try to lead the coverage.”
