NFL insider Tom Pelissero is drawing heat from fans after a series of social media posts that featured what many believe are AI-generated images tied to recent coaching news. The backlash comes during one of the busiest times on the NFL calendar - the head coaching carousel - and it's clear that fans are paying close attention not just to the news itself, but how it’s being presented.
The first wave of criticism came when Pelissero broke the news that John Harbaugh would be taking over as the New York Giants’ new head coach. Alongside the report, he posted an image of Harbaugh in Giants gear - but it didn’t sit right with a lot of viewers.
The photo looked off. Too polished.
Too staged. Fans quickly called it out as likely being created by artificial intelligence, sparking a wave of replies questioning the authenticity of the visual and the decision to pair it with such a significant piece of breaking news.
Then came another post - this time about Mike McCarthy. The former Cowboys head coach is reportedly linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Pelissero accompanied that report with another image that many believed was also AI-generated.
The caption, however, was deeply personal and well-researched: “Mike McCarthy’s father, Joe, was a firefighter and Pittsburgh Police Department officer who also owned Joe McCarthy’s Bar and Grill,” Pelissero wrote. “Mike was raised a Steelers fan and beat them in Super Bowl XLV.
Now, a true Yinzer could come home to pursue the franchise’s next Lombardi.”
That context added depth to the report, but it didn’t stop fans from voicing frustration over the image. The replies came in fast and unfiltered.
“Oh no not the AI slop,” one fan wrote bluntly. Another added, “Tom what are you actually doing man, just put down the AI garbage please.”
Others were more measured but still critical, with one fan saying, “You’re one of the few people I actually believe has a set of morals, Tom... Please get yourself educated in this matter, and then stop using all AI.
Thanks.”
At the heart of the pushback is a concern about trust. Fans rely on insiders like Pelissero not just for the facts, but for the authenticity that comes with seasoned reporting. And for many, AI-generated images - especially when used in the context of real-time news - feel like a step in the wrong direction.
So far, Pelissero hasn’t responded to the criticism. But the message from the football community is loud and clear: when it comes to the NFL, fans want the real thing - real news, real photos, and real people behind the reporting.