For a moment on national television, it looked like history was repeating itself. One viral clip of an apparent sideline snub sparked more conversation than the game itself, but the reality of the situation was far less dramatic. Was it another Justin Herbert moment post the Seahawks–49ers matchup that haunted ESPN’s Laura Rutledge? That was the question flooding social media as Sam Darnold seemingly ignored her post-game. But in a quick clarification, Rutledge herself revealed why the viral clip didn’t tell the whole story.

“Hey! 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. He was looking for Brock Purdy and was able to find him and then graciously did the interview.”

Following the incident at Levi’s Stadium, people deduced that Darnold purposefully ignored Rutledge. To be fair, winning 13-3 in the home of their divisional rivals and not only clinching the NFC West title but also the first seed in the NFC does call for some celebration.

Even reporter Jon Root posted a video of the incident on his social media, calling Sam out for his behavior.

“Seahawks QB Sam Darnold ignored ESPN’s Laura Rutledge request for an interview after their win vs 49ers, and the internet isn’t BLOWING UP about how rude, misogynistic & terrible Darnold is, like when Justin Herbert did the same thing.”

Thankfully, Laura’s reply to Root’s post cleared the air around the situation. Instead of a snub, Darnold asked for a few moments with Brock Purdy, and Rutledge obliged by giving him space to enjoy the win.

Following her reply, people praised her for her transparency. Similar to how reporters have to do their job after every game and take interviews, it is also natural for the players to greet each other after games. While the incident portrayed composure and professional courtesy at its best, it gained popularity because of a similar incident that Rutledge had to face earlier in December.

Laura Rutledge faced a similar situation in December

This is not the first time Laura Rutledge has been ignored this season. Justin Herbert did the same a few weeks back, when he was busy celebrating with his teammates rather than taking questions. In Week 14, the Chargers defeated the Eagles by 22-19. Following the game, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge went on with her regular drill of interviewing the winning quarterback, Justin Herbert.

However, the quarterback ignored her to celebrate with his teammates. He later reluctantly agreed to do the interview. His short answers proved that he wanted the interview to get over as soon as possible. The star quarterback’s behavior during the interview caused a lot of backlash, and many people called him “rude.”

While the fans were not happy with his behavior, his wanting to celebrate with his teammates is natural. It was a massive win for the Chargers, especially since it took them closer to the playoffs. He had just recovered from left-hand surgery and had been sacked seven times, so he felt very emotional. Nonetheless, the QB did the interview professionally before going away to his teammates.

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Players go through all kinds of emotions post-game, and these two incidents highlight it. Sam Darnold’s case showcases that, whatever the case may be, transparency should always be prioritized, similar to what Rutledge.