Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had an interesting and odd encounter on “The Pat McAfee Show.” When Rodgers tried to bring up the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal, he was redirected to another topic. So, why was this such an odd thing to happen?
Why the Crew Trying to Steer Aaron Rodgers Away From Talking About Dianna Russini Was Weird
Creator and host of the “Last Men Standing” show, Tony Farmer, said on X, “They’re not even hiding it. Watch how quickly these folks on ESPN try to stop Aaron Rodgers from talking about Russini when he mentions the AP COTY angle. The most taboo subject in sports. They direct Rodgers “go back to (criticizing) Fauci” instead of talking about Russini and the diversion works. “Anti-vax” views are now less taboo than Dianna Russini’s COTY voter status.”
Farmer is right, as the crew’s reaction is a bit odd for a variety of reasons. For starters, in his later years, Rodgers has been known for speaking his mind. Whether people agree with him or not has not stopped the veteran signal-caller from delivering it bluntly.
So, the idea that they did not want Rodgers to address a major topic in the NFL is a bit unrealistic. Rodgers has also been known to touch on touchy subjects. If McAfee and his crew did not want Rodgers to talk about the Vrabel situation, then they should have discussed it with him before the taping.
They’re not even hiding it.
Watch how quickly these folks on ESPN try stop Aaron Rodgers from talking about Dianna Russini when he mentions the AP COTY angle. The most taboo subject in sports.
They direct Rodgers “go back to (criticizing) Fauci” instead of talking about… pic.twitter.com/1Lo8OhhnBB
— Tony Farmer (@Tonysmarkettips) August 3, 2026
Another reason it is odd is that even if Rodgers did bring up the scandal, it is not going anywhere. The first game of the NFL season is a Super Bowl rematch, as Vrabel’s New England Patriots will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.
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This will be a game with a ton of spotlight and analysis centering on it. For instance, can Seattle crush New England again as they did in the Super Bowl? Another question could be, how does the Seahawks’ ground game look without Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III?
If the Patriots were playing a team less high-profile than the defending champions, say, the New York Jets or the Miami Dolphins, the scandal would be talked about less. However, this is arguably the most important game for the Patriots this year, aside from their matches against their AFC East rival, the Buffalo Bills.
If the NFL truly did not want any eyes on the scandal, they could have scheduled a ton of other matchups. Other potential high-profile opponents the Seahawks could have hosted to kick off the season included the Chicago Bears, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Rams. So, it is not like the Patriots were the only great and intriguing team that the Seahawks will face in 2026.
Another reason this is odd is that Farmer added that, instead of directing Rodgers to a football question, they led him to talk about Dr. Anthony Fauci and the topic of vaccines. It is very interesting how McAfee and crew consider the topic of vaccines less decisive than the Vrabel and Russini situation.
In conclusion, it will be interesting to see how the NFL media handles the Vrabel-Russini situation when the season begins.
