Aaron Rodgers isn’t backing down from his stance made during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last month. The Steelers quarterback doubled down on ESPN criticism during a new podcast appearance.
What We Know: Rodgers joined Not Just Football with Cam Heyward for a wide-ranging conversation. He revisited the fallout from his recent Pat McAfee Show comments. Rodgers said ESPN reacted with anger internally, then calling the network “gutless” over its perceived lack of coverage regarding the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel matter. He also suggested the NFL shapes how ESPN covers certain stories.
What They Said: (All quotes from Not Just Football w/Cam Heyward podcast):
Aaron Rodgers says ESPN was not happy with his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show: “ESPN is really scared. Because I can speak up and speak my mind. That McAfee thing [appearance] rattled their feathers. I love Pat [McAfee] 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. They spend so much time on certain issues but you won’t talk one second about the Dianna Russini situation?”
Aaron Rodgers calls ESPN hypocritical in their approach to coverage surrounding Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel: “There are a lot of insiders out there. Yeah. Do they all have strong integrity? I don’t know. But the fact is that ESPN spent zero time on that story. But Jed York gets popped in San Francisco, it’s literally on the top of their of their role right now. That’s hypocrisy.”
Aaron Rodgers believes the NFL does influence ESPN and their news approach: “The NFL is going to protect the Shield and I respect that, but they’re going to do by all means neacessary.”
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear if ESPN will respond publicly to Rodgers’ latest comments. The network did not respond to his previous comments made on McAfee’s program.
What It Means: Rodgers appears intent on keeping the ESPN feud alive this season. That stance could further strain his relationship with the network before his retirement. Meanwhile, comments about NFL influence add another layer of scrutiny on media coverage regarding Rodgers. For McAfee and Heyward, though, it’s more proof Rodgers remains a controversial figure in the NFL that gets people talking.
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