Body camera footage from the police seems to contradict the claims made by former NFL reporter Deanna Russini regarding her attempt to avoid a traffic ticket earlier this year.
In a February appearance on “Stagotts & Co.,” Russini recounted an incident where she purportedly FaceTimed an unnamed NFL coach after being pulled over. This narrative resurfaced during a New York Times investigation into the situation involving Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. However, the newly released police footage revealed no such FaceTime took place.
The footage, lasting just over seven minutes, shows Russini stopped in Ridgewood, New Jersey, for using her phone while driving. Contrary to her earlier assertion, there were no calls made during her interaction with the officers.
Instead, Russini shared text messages with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the stop, displaying her phone to the officers. She explained to them, “I’m an NFL reporter, and I just learned that Sean McDermott was fired by the Bills.” It seems she felt it was important to clarify the situation, stating it was work-related and an emergency for her job.
The memory of McDermott’s firing, which occurred on January 19, was fresh for everyone involved, coming after the Bills’ loss in the AFC Divisional Round. The officers noted that Russini had been using her phone for a while, but they acknowledged the demands of her job.
Interestingly, she also mentioned that Brian Daboll, the former New York Giants head coach, “wants the job” with the Bills—highlighting his ties to Buffalo prior to moving on to the Giants. Yet, Joe Brady ended up being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach instead.
After some casual conversation with the officer about being a Giants or Jets fan, and learning that he favored the Vikings, Russini showed him her texts, which included some candid remarks about the Vikings’ quarterback—she wasn’t shy to express her opinions. In the end, the officer decided to let her off with a warning, reminding her to conduct phone calls when she’s not driving.
In a statement following the incident, Ridgewood Police Chief Forrest Lyons detailed the stop, noting that the officer used his discretion to issue only a verbal warning after consulting department policies and Russini’s driving history.
Russini’s resignation from The Athletic came amid scrutiny of her relationship with Vrabel, particularly after private photos surfaced of them during what seemed to be romantic outings. She attempted to downplay the issue initially, suggesting that, you know, reporters often meet sources outside venues, but ultimately decided to step down.
As for Vrabel, he returned to the Patriots after a counseling session shortly into the 2026 NFL Draft. He mentioned having talked with the team about his situation, though addressing it with family members proved more challenging. The Patriots, meanwhile, expressed their full support for him amidst these controversies.
