Deanna Russini’s Traffic Incident Under Scrutiny
Former NFL reporter Deanna Russini’s claim about a FaceTime call with an NFL coach regarding a traffic ticket has come under fire, as it turns out, she never made such a call.
Recent photos published by Page Six raised eyebrows about her relationship with married Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. This prompted reflection on her comments made during a broadcast of “Stagotts & Co.” in February.
While speaking during her radio show, Russini, who had stepped down from her role at The Athletic in April amid the controversy, mentioned an incident where she supposedly called a coach from a favored team after being pulled over, leading to her ticket being dismissed.
This narrative was revisited in a New York Times article last week examining the fallout from the incident.
However, police body camera footage has revealed a different version of events, one that suggests Russini may have embellished her story. The footage shows the incident playing out over seven minutes and does not include any FaceTime calls.
Instead, she appeared to be engaged in conversation with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell through text messages, which she shared with the officers. The traffic stop took place in Ridgewood, New Jersey, due to her using a cell phone while driving.
As the officer approached her vehicle, Russini seemed to anticipate the reason for the stop, saying, “I’m an NFL reporter, and I just broke news about coach Sean McDermott being let go by the Bills.” She explained the situation as an emergency related to her job.
The officer informed her that she had been on her phone “for a while” before he initiated the stop, acknowledging her occupation. Russini quickly shifted the conversation back to football, expressing her support for former Giants coach Brian Daboll and his aspirations for a job in Buffalo.
As the conversation progressed, she inquired if the officer was a fan of the Jets or Giants, and when he shared that he was a Vikings supporter, she showed him her texts with O’Connell, even commenting on the quarterback’s performance.
In the end, the officer decided not to ticket her. He advised her, “I’m going to stop using my cell phone. I understand that your job requires a lot of phone calls. Just wait until you get home, okay?”
While Russini’s career may have helped her avoid a citation, the actual events portrayed seem to differ significantly from her original account.
Ridgewood Police Chief Ross Lyons also released a statement about the encounter. He confirmed that the stop occurred on January 19, 2026, and was related to her cellphone use while driving. In his statement, he noted that the officer followed departmental procedures and chose to issue a verbal warning instead of a ticket.
This decision aligns with the Ridgewood Police Department’s policy of allowing officers to exercise discretion based on circumstances, maintaining a commitment to fair and community-based policing.
