What happened: Mike Semel’s five-month inquiry determined the relationship should have been disclosed while Dianna Russini covered Mike Vrabel and his teams. It found no factual inaccuracies or clear link showing Russini used her platform to benefit Vrabel.

Why it matters: Russini resigned from The Athletic in April, but the company continued its standards inquiry. The findings shift scrutiny toward newsroom safeguards rather than the accuracy of her NFL work.

What to watch: Watch for The Athletic’s planned onboarding changes and stronger enforcement of conflict-of-interest and sourcing rules.