Fired NFL reporter Crissy Froyd has made her most alarming claim yet in the expanding Russini-Vrabel scandal. During an appearance on The Howard Eskin Show, Froyd alleged that over 50 NFL players and coaches made unwanted advances toward her across her 12-year career, including incidents that occurred when she was a minor. The comments have reignited a broader conversation about power dynamics and journalistic ethics inside the NFL media ecosystem.
What Did Crissy Froyd Say About Being Hit On While Underage?
Crissy Froyd did not hold back. When Eskin asked directly how many players or coaches had made advances toward her, she answered plainly: "At least 50, I can't even count." Then came the detail that stopped everyone. "Like I said, I've been doing this for like 12 years, so at least 50, including when I was underage," she said, adding, "But I will give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they didn't know that."
She described how isolating those moments felt, particularly as a teenager. "It was obviously very uncomfortable, especially when some of them were players from the NFL when I was about 16," Froyd said. "I was just the age of consent in multiple states, and I didn't know what to do because I looked older than I was, and so I just kind of tried to not say anything, you know, kind of like dodge it and just kind of leave the conversation."
That is not a minor footnote. That is a 16-year-old trying to navigate a locker room culture she was not equipped to handle. And by her own account, no one noticed or cared enough to intervene.
How Deep Does the NFL Media Scandal Go?
Froyd's allegations go well beyond her personal experience. Writing for The Daily Mail, she claimed that at least six female reporters told her they had sex with NFL staff, including in one instance a prominent head coach, while actively covering those teams. "I've also been told by at least half a dozen female reporters that they have had sex with NFL staff and, in one case, a prominent NFL head coach, while they were covering the team," she wrote, describing the situation as "unfair and demoralizing" for reporters who operate with integrity.
When pressed to name names, Froyd declined. "To avoid any legal dispute, I can't say any more than that," she told Eskin. "One of them starts with a J. I won't go any further than that, but just to give you a bit of a tidbit."
The original scandal broke in April when Page Six published photos of Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an adults-only Arizona resort. Russini resigned from The Athletic days later amid an internal review. Vrabel, meanwhile, has kept his job. The Patriots stood by him even after he left the team during Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to attend family counseling sessions. The NFL has declined to investigate, calling it a personal matter.
Froyd was fired from USA Today after publicly criticising Russini. She has since become one of the loudest voices questioning the broader culture, and her latest claims suggest the scandal has roots far deeper than one coach and one reporter.
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About the Author
Prantik Prabal Roy is a passionate sports writer who eats, breathes, and lives the game. Since 2020, he has been in the content writing industry after completion of his Master's degree in English literature and covering the NFL since 2024 with sharp insights, while also diving into the NHL and MLB with equal enthusiasm. He loves crafting content that drives traffic without sacrificing quality. He blends storytelling with analysis to keep readers hooked. When he's not writing, Prantik can be found cheering on the Buffalo Bills or diving into books that celebrate the world of sports.
