ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter vs. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport isn't exactly Ohio State vs. Michigan, but it's been a rivalry in the sports media world for a while.
Schefter, ESPN's No. 1 NFL insider, and Rapoport, the No. 1 insider for the NFL Network, have been battling for scoops and inside information for a decade-plus. But with ESPN set to acquire the NFL Network later this year, will the two actually be working alongside each other, ending the rivalry?
It sounds like it.
Schefter recently retweeted one of Rapoport's scoops. Schefter, who has more than 11 million followers on X, rarely retweets competitors. But he did it for the first time for Rapoport. It was a sign of what's to come.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 09: ESPN analyst Adam Schefter participates in a Monday Night Football broadcast before the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on December 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
"Schefter and Rapoport have been rivals for the better part of the past two decades. But here was ESPN's senior NFL insider retweeting NFL Network's lead insider on a high-profile story both were clearly chasing about Taylor Swift's fiancé," Front Office Sports reported.
"Schefter doesn't toss out retweets to his 11.5 million followers lightly. That small measure of respect from the fiercely competitive Schefter could signal broader implications as ESPN takes control of NFL Network next month."
It could allow Schefter to take a step back, too.
Longtime NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski chose to leave ESPN due in part to burnout from the job.
"We talked about this, and basically, he wanted his life back," Schefter said on ESPN following Wojnarowski's sudden retirement. "He didn't want to have to work on holidays. He didn't want to be away from more family gatherings. … That's the life that we live. And that was the life that he chose not to do any longer. Because it takes over your life."
Now, Rapoport and Schefter could work together
If they team up, they could essentially have a monopoly on the NFL's news cycle.
"Give or take some others, Adam and Ian comprise 90% of the [NFL] news that's broken," says one source to FOS. "It would be a pretty compelling opportunity to effectively pitch a shutout."
Time will tell just how much they choose to work together, but it seems like the rivalry is ending.
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