The NFL world is no stranger to heated debates and passionate opinions, but things took a sharp left turn this week when a media dust-up between veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson and Browns beat writer Zac Jackson spilled into the public eye-complete with accusations, podcast callouts, and a string of inflammatory emails.
Here’s what we know.
Zac Jackson, who covers the Browns for The Athletic, recently shared on his Zac Jackson and Friends podcast that he received a series of hostile emails. The messages, which were laced with personal insults and racially charged language, appeared to be in response to his coverage of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The sender claimed to be the sister of a prominent NFL reporter-implying a connection to Josina Anderson-and made it clear she believed Jackson had wronged Sanders in his reporting.
One of the emails read:
“So Shedeur is to forget about what happened in the summer.
Aren’t you the same mutt who lied about him last month and what happened during the draft? Called out by Deion Jr. in your hit piece… You cowardly, pathetic creature…”
The email didn’t stop there, going on to accuse Jackson of jealousy and racial bias, and ending with a string of personal attacks.
Jackson, for his part, didn’t back down. He responded directly to the sender, denying any wrongdoing in his coverage of Sanders and pushing back on the accusations.
“With all due respect, which is none, I’ve never lied about Shedeur,” he replied. “I have no idea what you’re talking about or why you’re so angry with me.”
That response only seemed to fuel the fire. Two days later, Jackson received a follow-up email from someone again claiming to be the sister of a well-known NFL reporter. The message doubled down on the previous accusations and added more racially charged language.
Another message followed soon after, with the sender-who identified herself as “Sheila Anderson”-taunting Jackson and hinting that her sister’s identity would soon become clear.
At that point, Jackson connected the dots and went public, suggesting on his podcast that Josina Anderson was involved-either directly or indirectly-in the messages he received.
“And so this person is claiming to be related, and is claiming to pass this message along,” Jackson said.
“That tells me, Josina, that you’re inciting this kind of sht. And it’s bullsht.”
That’s when Josina Anderson entered the conversation.
Anderson took to social media to issue a firm denial, stating that the allegations made by Jackson were “categorically false.” She made it clear she has no sister named Sheila Anderson and denied that anyone in her family had contacted Jackson in any capacity.
“This defamatory accusation from @AkronJackson of The Athletic on his podcast is categorically false,” she wrote. “I do not have a sister named ‘Sheila Anderson,’ nor do I have a sister who reached out to Zac Jackson in any form or fashion.”
Anderson didn’t stop there. She also criticized Jackson for broadcasting the story without verifying the facts, calling it reckless and vowing to take “appropriate action” in response.
“I listened to the reported podcast, and I can’t believe that Jackson would so recklessly share that story on his platform without checking with me first and verifying the false claim. I will handle this with the appropriate action.”
At the heart of the issue seems to be Jackson’s perceived criticism of Shedeur Sanders-a player who’s drawn both praise and scrutiny throughout his transition to the NFL. Jackson maintains that his reporting has been fair and largely positive, while the emails he received suggest otherwise.
While it’s unclear who actually sent the messages, the situation has quickly escalated from a private email exchange to a very public back-and-forth between two respected voices in NFL media. And with Anderson threatening legal or professional action, this story may still have legs.
For now, it’s a reminder of how quickly things can spiral in today’s media landscape-especially when passionate fandom, high-profile players, and personal reputations intersect.