Laura Rutledge Gave Her Husband An Epic 37th Birthday Present on Monday

It's a busy week for Laura Rutledge, but the ESPN host still managed to make time for her husband's birthday.

Laura Rutledge, 37, is set to take part in ESPN's NFL Draft coverage on Thursday night. The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is set to begin after 7 p.m. E.T. on Thursday. It'll air live from Pittsburgh. Rutledge will be on the broadcast, along with Mike Greenberg, in a primetime role for ESPN.

But Monday night was family night for the Rutledges. The popular ESPN host celebrated her husband's birthday in epic fashion. Laura Rutledge took everyone along for the ride on her Instagram Story.

Laura's husband, former MLB player Josh Rutledge - who played in the league from 2012-17 - celebrated his 37th birthday on Monday night.

The happy couple celebrated with a pretty epic present: a New Haven, Connecticut pizza tour.

Laura and Josh ate at three different iconic New Haven pizza spots. They started out at the iconic Frank Pepe's. The spot is known as the "original, famous coal-fired pizza" joint that has been "passionate about pizza for 100 years and counting."

From there, Josh and Laura headed to Sally's Apizza. The legendary pizza joint, located at 237 Wooster St, constantly has long lines - even in cold weather. So, Josh and Laura decided to eat their Sally's pizza in the car.

They enjoyed the "Calabrian Stinger." The pizza features mozzarella cheese, Sally's tomato sauce, salami, nduja red onion diced sweet and hot peppers, hot honey and pecorino.

Josh and Laura finished their birthday pizza tour at BAR, which is one of the newer spots in New Haven, but it's still a fan favorite.

They had the "Carnivore."

It's a "Red pizza with Mozzarella, Smoked Brisket, Meatball, Pepperoni, Garlic."

Why New Haven pizza is considered the world's best

While many associate New York City as the pizza capital of the world, the true pizza enthusiasts often point to New Haven, Connecticut as the No. 1 spot.

Why?

New Haven is known for its classic coal-fired joints. The pizza is thin, crispy and extremely easy to take down.

"A New Haven pizza is always cooked well done: the crust, which is made from a cold-fermented dough and hand-stretched, is thin, chewy, and pleasingly gritty," the New Yorker describes.

It's a cool way to spend a birthday, that's for sure.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 8:28 AM.