Aaron Rodgers loves a good conspiracy theory, so when the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal broke earlier this offseason, you can bet the four-time NFL MVP was paying close attention.
While the Russini drama has quieted down in recent weeks and with training camps getting underway, Rodgers is now stoking the flame.
Aaron Rodgers Calls Out Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel Scandal
Rodgers appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, where he addressed a broad range of topics as the two old pals caught up. As one can imagine, it didn’t take long for arguably the NFL’s biggest offseason storyline to get brought up.
When it came to the Russini-Vrabel controversy, Rodgers had a lot to say about what he called a “major scandal” that could include implications of “tampering.”
“You have literally an individual that… 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 [expletive] talk about it,” Rodgers said. “What are we even doing here? 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… Like, how are we allowing these people to have an impact?”
#Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers also unloaded on the Dianna Russini/Mike Vrabel offseason story.
Rodgers says the story and its ramifications weren’t covered properly.
(📽️ @PatMcAfeeShow) https://t.co/PZhnAW6Xiz pic.twitter.com/fHVpKTM1cl
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 3, 2026
Rodgers’ comments reopen an interesting can of worms that others have tried to sound alarm bells about earlier this offseason.
As for the tampering claims, Rodgers is likely alluding to Russini’s accidental post linking right tackle Morgan Moses to the New England Patriots before they could have contact with him.
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Last year, before Moses signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Patriots, Russini posted a report on X detailing that the New York Jets were set to let Moses hit free agency. In the graphic that she used, Moses was already featured alongside a Patriots logo. The post was quickly deleted and a new post was sent out, but the new graphic only featured Moses’ photo. Crucially, this post was sent out before the legal tampering period.
Russini blamed her graphic designer at the time, but given the alleged relationship between her and Vrabel, her mistake is more interesting in hindsight. Did she have inside knowledge that Moses was planning to sign with New England? And if so, is it because the Patriots were in contact with the free agent before the legal tampering period opened?
Some have also suggested that Russini may have helped the Tennessee Titans trade for Julio Jones at a reduced cost when Vrabel was the team’s head coach.
The Titans traded for Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones after Russini reported that the Falcons were offered a first-round pick for him and that the Titans were a “long shot” to land Jones. However, the Falcons didn’t get a first-rounder back for Jones. And by reporting this, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio argues that Russini “chilled” the market for Jones, which allowed Vrabel and the Titans to swoop in and land Jones for a second-round and fourth-round pick.
“So how did the reporting potentially help the Titans?” Florio wrote. “Putting out the word that the Falcons had been offered a first-round pick could have had a chilling effect on any team that may have been considering offering a second-round pick. Calling the Titans a ‘long shot’ allowed them to maneuver quietly for Jones.
“Given the relationship between Vrabel and Russini, it’s not crazy or reckless to wonder whether her reporting was directly or indirectly connected to the effort to help the Titans get Jones on the best possible terms. Which, of course, will bolster suspicions by Eagles fans that she had been working more recently with Vrabel to get Eagles receiver A.J. Brown on the best possible terms,” he added.
The NFL has said that it won’t investigate the Vrabel-Russini scandal, as the league is treating it as a personal matter. However, if Rodgers and others continue to speak out, perhaps that will change. Russini resigned from The Athletic in April, and an investigation into her reporting is ongoing. Perhaps more answers will be revealed when the findings of that internal probe are made public.
