"In the Halo themed video, the Chargers made a couple references to the ongoing drama when revealing their Thanksgiving weekend game against the New England Patriots. A sign with the words “Next Photo Dump 1 Mile” was in the video as was a pop-up notification from the New York Post, which broke the story about the Patriots coach and the former Athletic reporter."
"This isn't surprising. The Chargers' last game was a playoff loss to Vrabel's Patriots, so nothing short of an edict from the NFL probably would have stopped the franchise's social media team from referencing the Vrabel-Russini controversy."
"And when Inside the NBA put Vrabel and Russini in a “Gone Fishing” mock photo earlier this month, it probably sent some NFL social media teams into a frenzy. If ESPN, which is 10% owned by the NFL, can get away with that, why couldn't they?"
"It's good the NFL isn't as buttoned up as it used to be regarding its public image, although it's probably wishing this story would go away."
The Chargers included subtle references to the Vrabel-Russini offseason drama in their 2026 schedule release video. The video used a Halo theme while revealing a Thanksgiving weekend game against the New England Patriots. Visual elements included a sign reading “Next Photo Dump 1 Mile” and a pop-up notification referencing a New York Post report about the Patriots coach and the former Athletic reporter. The team’s behavior is framed as consistent with prior social media engagement, including reactions to the Chargers’ recent playoff loss to Vrabel’s Patriots. The piece also notes that other sports media outlets have mocked the situation, suggesting NFL social media teams feel less constrained than before.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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