Laura Rutledge has been hard at work covering college football and the NFL this past weekend, but she still made time to address a growing online controversy from the Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers matchup on Saturday, January 3.
The Seahawks dominated the contest, winning 13-3 and securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC. However, attention quickly shifted from the game to a post-match incident involving Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold.
According to US Weekly, a video that went viral showed Darnold seemingly ignoring Rutledge when she approached him for an interview, sparking a wave of criticism on social media. Fans accused the quarterback of being dismissive and unprofessional, fueling a flurry of online debate.
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The ESPN reporter was actually being considerate to the quarterback
Rutledge was quick to set the record straight. She explained that Darnold wasn’t avoiding her out of disrespect; he was momentarily searching for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to speak with him first. According to Rutledge, Darnold returned shortly after and participated in the interview, clarifying that there was no slight intended.
“You may have missed where I explained that I told Darnold to take his time talking to whoever he wanted to see because we had time before we were going off air,” Rutledge wrote on X. “He was looking for Brock Purdy and was able to find him and then graciously did the interview.”
She added that they had plenty of time before going off air, so she gave Darnold the space to talk to whoever he needed to see first. The Seahawks victory was a memorable one, with the team’s GM creating viral moments during the game.
This isn’t the first time Rutledge has dealt with an awkward postgame moment. In December, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert also seemed to brush her off after a win against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 8. Herbert eventually answered her questions but gave short, quick responses and seemed distracted.
Rutledge laughed off that incident on X, writing: “Rough day at the office. Let’s all have a good laugh and move on!” Sports personalities often face unexpected situations, much like the ongoing search for missing coach Travis Turner.
Rutledge has a packed schedule. She works as a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football and college football games. She also hosts NFL Live and SEC Nation. Fans recently saw just how busy she is when she went viral for running across the field during the College Football Playoff game between Georgia and Ole Miss on January 1. She had less than 60 seconds to sprint from a sideline interview to host the halftime show.
Published: Jan 5, 2026 04:45 pm