Adam Schefter has been the subject of some controversy this week in the world of sports media, but his name appeared in the news on Wednesday night for a different reason.
According to a latest report from Front Office Sports, a major company is preparing to make a play for the NFL insider.
Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez of FOS reported on Wednesday evening that Caesars Sportsbook has interest in making Schefter the company’s latest major talent acquisition. The NFL insider’s current deal with ESPN expires in summer of 2022, before the start of the next season, and he’s expected to receive other offers from sports gambling companies that want to continue to establish themselves in the sports media space.
Already, Caesars has made waves, having recently hired former ESPN personalities Kenny Mayne and Trey Wingo. Schefter would be a massive addition to the team that the gambling company is creating, but it seems like poaching him from the Worldwide Leader will be easier said than done.
“ESPN absolutely wants to keep Schefty,” one source told Front Office Sports. “If you notice, they’ve been expanding his purview, even allowing him to dabble in NBA coverage if he wants.”
NEWS: Caesars Sportsbook is preparing to go after Adam Schefter as its latest big talent acquisition
The industry’s top NFL insider will see his current contract expire before the next NFL season.
The latest from @MMcCarthyREV and @byajperez ⤵️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 14, 2021
Schefter has carved out a wide-reaching role for himself at ESPN. Since joining the company from NFL Network in 2009, he’s been a mainstay on the company’s NFL shows such as “Sunday NFL Countdown,” “Monday Night Countdown,” “NFL Live,” “Get Up,” and “SportsCenter.”
As of this week, Schefter is trying to navigate being caught in the middle of the NFL’s investigation into the Washington Football Team. In emails first reported by the Los Angeles Times, the ESPN insider is seen having correspondence with former WFT executive Bruce Allen, where he refers to Allen as “Mr. Editor” while sending the executive a full story before publication.
Schefter released a statement on the matter Wednesday, saying that he regretted what he did but has never ceded editorial control to anyone else.
“Fair questions are being asked about my reporting approach on an NFL Lockout story from 10 years ago. Just to clarify, it’s common practice to verify facts of a story with sources before you publish in order to be as accurate as possible. … It was a step too far and, looking back, I shouldn’t have done it. The criticism being levied is fair. With that said, I want to make this perfectly clear: in no way did I, or would I, cede editorial control or hand over final say about a story to anyone, ever.”
It seems like that Schefter will come out of this investigation just fine and maintain his important position at ESPN this year. However, once this NFL season comes to a close, all eyes will be on his next step in the business.
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