Aaron Rodgers has called ESPN ‘gutless’ and accused them of not covering the affair scandal between Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini properly, while appearing on the network on Monday.
The controversy erupted when The New York Post published photos of Vrabel, the New England Patriots head coach, fraternizing with The Athletic’s NFL insider Russini at a $2,500-a-night, adults-only retreat in Arizona in March. More photos of the couple together emerged in the weeks after. Both are married with children.
Russini, who was paid close to $800,000-a-year by the New York Times-owned Athletic, has vehemently denied all suggestions of an affair with Vrabel, insisting in a statement announcing her resignation that she stands by every story she has published.
The Patriots coach denied it too, initially, alongside Russini’s claim that they were at the resort with friends. But subsequently, Vrabel said he had started counseling in order ‘to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be’.
He even missed the third day of the NFL Draft with the Patriots as a result of his move.
The scandal dominated the American media landscape for weeks during the NFL’s offseason but Rodgers alleged that ESPN seemingly stopped its reporters from discussing it.
Aaron Rodgers has accused ESPN of not covering the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal
Russini left her job as an NFL reporter after intimate pictures emerged of her and Vrabel
During an explosive appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’, which is licensed by ESPN, Rodgers slammed the network for overlooking a scandal that seemingly may have sporting consequences for the NFL.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, 42, said: ‘What are the network (ESPN) doing?
‘You have literally an individual that maybe used to work at ESPN that covers our league at the highest level, and there’s a major scandal, and it’s just like, nobody can f***ing talk about it? What are we even doing here?’
When countered by McAfee’s co-host Boston Connor, who claimed ‘personal lives are personal lives… I feel like you of all people should know that,’ Rodgers added: ‘I understand, but if it’s affecting certain things.
‘If there’s leaks going on, if there’s tampering going on… if that person is also an MVP voter and a Coach of the Year voter? … How are we allowing these people to have an impact?’
‘I told these boys I was bringing it today!’
Rodgers also unleashed on ‘coward’ and ‘criminal’ Anthony Fauci in his appearance on Pat McAfee’s ESPN show on Monday.
He also discussed his recent reunion with his family, but quickly told McAfee and his viewers that it’s ‘nobody’s f***ing business.
Rodgers also unleashed on ‘criminal’ Anthony Fauci and discussed his reunion with his family
The Steelers quarterback reunited with members of his family after a period of estrangement
Earlier this year in April, Rodgers invited his parents to attend his induction into the Pleasant Valley High School Hall of Fame.
Last month, Rodgers shared photos on Instagram documenting a ‘bonding week’ in Nashville with his family, including his mother Darla, father Ed, brother Luke, niece Evie and nephew Jack.
The reconciliation came after years of public distance between Rodgers and his family. The turning point began in 2023 when Rodgers reconnected with his father, Ed, at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe for the first time in nearly nine years.
Rodgers continued: ‘Honestly, the reason there was a schism and the reason we’re back together is nobody’s f***ing business. I gave a little glimpse and I’m not going to do… I don’t even really post any more.
‘I posted our trip in Idaho, the previous post I posted before that was from the Malibu trip the year before. I’m not going to be posting a bunch of stuff and blowing it up.
‘It’s good to have a full circle, there’s been a lot of full circles the past year. People don’t know and they shouldn’t know, it’s none of their business. There’s a lot of conjecture because I’m the darkness guy, I’m the Covid endangerer guy, I’m this and I’m that.
‘I used to not really care… I care even less. I’m going out after this, I’m not going to be out there doing a podcast, chasing down weird-ass parties on the east coast and wearing white. I’m going to be out of the light, so I might as well get a couple in.
‘Especially when I get a chance to get after that gutless organization you have to be connected with. I just don’t care any more. All I care about is getting out there on that field and playing my best ball.’
