Justin Herbert Slighted The Fans In Prickly Interview With Laura Rutledge

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert didn't want to talk to ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge after the game on Monday.

Following the team’s overtime win against the Eagles, Herbert tried shooing off Rutledge’s request for an interview. "Yeah, I’m trying to celebrate with my team," he said.

"I know," Rutledge responded. "But can we just talk to you really fast?"

A visibly frustrated Herbert ended up answering a few questions.

Both critics and defenders of Herbert have turned the exchange into an athlete vs. reporter dynamic. But that’s not exactly accurate.

We understand that some athletes are untrusting or uncomfortable with the media. And while this doesn’t apply to Rutledge, many reporters are snakes looking to create a viral soundbite. Still, the postgame reporter serves as a liaison between the athletes and the fans.

If Herbert and his prickly attitude intended to slight Rutledge, he ended up slighting the fans.

The reporter’s purpose is to give viewers further access to the winning quarterback. This is especially true during a standalone primetime game with a league partner like ESPN, which pays for the nine-figure contracts players like Herbert sign.

Herbert doesn’t owe the media. He owes the fans. If it weren’t for television-watching fans, players like Herbert wouldn’t sign contracts worth $262.5 million.

For background, team public relations departments agree to grant the network reporter an immediate interview with the quarterback in the event of a victory. Speaking to the media after a win is an obligation for Herbert. It’s part of the job.

Consider all the Americans with real jobs who deal with frustrating obligations every day. Let’s stop giving athletes passes for having to talk to a reporter for 90 seconds.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 08: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks to pass against the Philadelphia Eaglesat during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium on December 08, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Further, Herbert’s dismissive attitude underscores how ungrateful many modern athletes have become. They come across as bothered, entitled, and unappreciative of their status. 

When’s the last time a winning quarterback thanked the fans during a postgame interview?

In a way, Herbert came across like one of those catty WNBA players who want all the perks of being a professional athlete without any of the headaches.

While Herbert didn’t do anything worthy of condemnation, he set the blueprint for how an athlete should not act postgame. That's on him.