Most NFL quarterbacks have plenty on their proverbial plate this time of year and aren’t too worried about the league’s scandals or the coverage of those by the landscape’s most dominant sports network ESPN. Not Aaron Rodgers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is preparing for Sunday’s season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but recently took time out to roast ESPN on the Not Just Football podcast with teammate Cam Heyward.
On the show Rodgers criticized the network’s coverage, or rather, the lack of coverage of what he called the “intimate relations” between New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former ESPN and Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
“ESPN is really scared” of having him on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss that, Rodgers said.
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Why?
“Because I can speak up and speak my mind,” he said. “And that McAfee thing rattled their feathers, because I didn’t just say that on McAfee’s show, who is, honestly, I love Pat, and he’s done more for that network than any other horrible show they have on there that they think is they should pay those guys doing it. But I also said, you’re a gutless organization. Because they haven’t said anything.
“They spend so much time on certain issues, but you won’t talk one second about the Dianna Russini situation. What just happened? Uh, let’s see, the owner of the Niners solicited a prostitute for [$160] in Ohio. That literally was the number one topic when you click on ESPN, right?”
“They rotate the eight stories or whatever they have. But they usually have, like, the one story they feature. That was a featured story. So you bring in how many millions of eyes to that situation. Why do you want to throw Jed York under the bus? I don’t know.”
Well, one side done, flip ESPN over to cook the other side, Aaron …
“But does that have the same effect as a reporter who, you know, has intimate relations with a coach?” Rodgers asked. “Who has a vote for MVP, who has a vote for Coach of the Year?
“There was the thing about Morgan Moses going from the Jets to New England that was posted a day early. How many other inside stuff was shared? There are a lot of insiders out there. Do they all have strong integrity? I don’t know.
“But the fact that ESPN spent zero time on that story but Jed York gets popped … and it’s literally on the top of their roll … That’s hypocrisy.”
Rodgers critics have claimed he dabbles in conspiracy theories and however one feels about that, he’s not afraid to discuss a conspiracy theory about ESPN’s lack of Russini coverage.
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“I think there’s a lot more to it,” he said. “The NFL is gonna protect the shield. And I respect that. But they’re gonna do it by all means necessary.”
For the uninitiated, Russini and Vrabel were photographed at a Sedona, Arizona resort in April holding hands, embracing, spending time together at a pool and in a hot tub. Those photos and others pointing to a relationship beyond what is typical led The Athletic to conclude Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was “in clear violation” of standards.
That is a bad look for everyone involved. And ESPN, who employed Russini from 2015 to 2023, is wholly in bed with the NFL. The league owns a 10% stake of ESPN.
“They got to be very very careful,” Rodgers said.
