Mason Rudolph is clearing the air on some wild accusations that set social media ablaze. The 29-year-old NFL quarterback, currently with the Tennessee Titans, firmly denies the rumors that he slid into the DMs of former Dolphins cheerleader Amanda Vance during Monday’s game against Miami.
The claim went viral after Vance’s boyfriend, Joey Mauriello, posted a video that seemingly showed Rudolph sending her a flirty message. But according to Rudolph, the story has been blown way out of proportion.
Rudolph was called into action during the second half after Titans quarterback Will Levis suffered an injury, and while his performance wasn’t groundbreaking – he completed just nine passes for 85 yards – Tennessee still walked away with a solid 31-12 win. But that wasn’t the only action happening at Hard Rock Stadium.
The message was from several months ago
Mauriello, a sports handicapper like Vance, posted a video during the game showing an Instagram message from Rudolph in Vance’s inbox. He jokingly claimed that the quarterback hitting on his girlfriend was “destroying his team” both on and off the field. The video quickly gained traction online, with viewers assuming Rudolph had sent the message while playing in the game.
However, the Titans backup is not staying silent. During an interview on The Doug Gottlieb Show, the quarterback called the claims “a total frame job” and explained that the DM in question wasn’t even close to being recent.
In fact, the message was sent over seven months ago, and it wasn’t unsolicited. Rudolph clarified that his message, asking if Vance was “still in Miami,” was actually a response to something Vance had sent him earlier.
“It wasn’t like I was sending messages between second and third down. It’s crazy what people will believe,” Rudolph said, laughing off the absurdity of the situation.
15 seconds of fame
Though the viral video didn’t outright claim the message was sent during the game, the lack of context certainly caused confusion. Mauriello and Vance, both associated with sports betting company Betr, seem to have achieved their goal of going viral, with their post racking up views across social media platforms. For Rudolph, it’s just another bizarre chapter in the saga of his NFL career.
“A good frame job for a little 15 seconds of fame, I guess,” Rudolph remarked sarcastically.
As for whether we’ll ever see the full chat history? Neither Amanda Vance nor Mason Rudolph seems eager to release it. But with the drama surrounding the DM debunked, one thing’s for sure: Mauriello might have more to worry about than just the Titans beating his team-he better keep an eye on his girlfriend’s inbox!
