Stephen A. Smith says he believes Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel are innocent -- for now

Stephen A. Smith says he believes Dianna Russini when she insists her interaction with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at a resort in Arizona was nothing more than two professionals engaging in conversation.

"I give her the benefit of the doubt. She worked at ESPN for 10 years as my colleague. She’s a wonderful person, she’s a damn good reporter, I respect the hell out of her, and I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt," Smith said on SiriusXM radio.

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"If she says this stuff isn’t true, I’m gonna believe her until further evidence to the contrary is provided."

Later, Smith backtracked slightly, acknowledging that Russini put herself in a difficult position.

"Having said that, it still didn’t stop me from saying that when you know that you are a reporter and this is a head coach of an NFL team and you cover the NFL, you can’t put yourself in that position."

He also pushed back on claims that misogyny explains why the photos cost Russini her job at The Athletic, while Vrabel is unlikely to face professional consequences.

"I don’t think misogyny applies in this particular case," Smith added. "The fact of the matter is, he’s the head coach of an NFL team. She’s a reporter. The onus is on her to make sure her objectivity is not skewed in any way."

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To recap, Smith says he believes Russini (for now), faults her for putting herself in this situation, and understands the different reactions to her and Vrabel.

Got all that?

The part many will question is his defense of Russini.

Initially, OutKick acknowledged that we "needed more information" before casting judgment. Yet, according to an ESPN report on Friday, Russini had an opportunity to provide proof to The Athletic that her interaction with Vrabel was professional and chose not to.

She could have quieted rumors of an inappropriate relationship by providing photos from the alleged girls' trip or documentation showing she and Vrabel stayed in separate hotel rooms at the resort. She didn’t.

Further, most people don’t resign when they can easily prove their innocence.

Russini evidently did not feel she could back up her original statement to the New York Post about the photos.

"The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were together during the day," Russini said at the time. "Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."

That said, Smith is right that Russini is not a victim of misogyny, as figures like Jemele Hill and Michelle Beadle have claimed.

Vrabel’s job is to coach and win games. Russini’s job was to report NFL news. Both face questions about their judgment after holding hands together by the pool while their spouses and children were away. However, only Russini now faces ethical scrutiny. That is what made her return to The Athletic as a credible NFL insider so challenging.

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All in all, we have no real issue with Smith’s comments. If he wants to give Russini the benefit of the doubt, that’s fine. But we can tell you that he is in the minority.

Per our reporting last week, most of Russini’s colleagues and contemporaries do not believe her. In fact, many had already formed negative opinions about her before she was ever seen at an adults-only resort alone with Mike Vrabel.