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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers used his platform on “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday to criticize ESPN’s handling of the controversy involving former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Rodgers questioned why the network had largely avoided discussing the scandal, especially given Russini’s prior employment at ESPN and her prominent role covering the NFL.
The scandal emerged this offseason after Russini faced allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Vrabel. Russini subsequently resigned from her position at The Athletic, while Vrabel departed the Patriots during the NFL Draft to attend counseling. Photographs of the pair together at a Sedona, Arizona resort surfaced publicly, followed by additional images from 2020 showing them kissing at a New York City bar.
“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,” Rodgers told McAfee’s crew. “And it’s just like nobody can talk about it? Like, what are we doing here?” Rodgers expressed concern that such matters could influence league decisions, particularly given Russini’s potential involvement in MVP and Coach of the Year voting.
Rodgers also criticized Russini’s Jets reporting during his controversial tenure with New York, claiming insufficient journalistic standards guided her coverage. He noted receiving a text from Russini requesting an interview, which he ignored, and referenced similarly dismissing ESPN’s Adam Schefter in 2023 during retirement speculation.
Vrabel returned to the Patriots after his counseling visit, which coincided with the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Patriots organization publicly supported Vrabel throughout the situation. Russini stated in 2025 on the “Scoop City” podcast that the Jets had attempted to restrict Rodgers from appearing on McAfee’s program, though the quarterback continued his regular appearances.
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