Adam Schefter criticizes Mike Florio’s claim to his sources

There are always discussions about anonymous sources and their possible intentions, but that seems to have particularly intensified in the NFL in recent weeks. This includes Aaron Rodgers publicly criticizing Jay Glazer, Adam Schefter and Pat McAfee and wanting an end to anonymous reports in the NFL. The latest confrontation comes between Schefter and Mike Florio of NBC and Pro Football Talk.

On Wednesday, in a written PFT piece titled “Pete Carroll Wants Another Head Coach Job in the NFL,” Florio accused Schefter of releasing a “report/strategic leak” that Pete Carroll wanted to return to the NFL simply because because “Carroll’s agent specifically did this.” I told Schefter.

This is reported by Adam Schefter from ESPN.com Carroll wants to go back in. That means, frankly, that Carroll’s agent specifically told Schefter this in the hope that Schefter would put it out into the world in hopes of generating public opinion. Then Carroll’s agent will do it I have a lot to thank Schefter for.

And that is how the sausage is made.

According to the report/strategic leak, Carroll has specifically expressed interest in the Bears’ vacancy. Which obviously means nothing unless the Bears are interested in Carroll.

…It’s hard to blame Carroll’s agent for trying to use the media to publicize Carroll. That’s the agent’s job. However, it is not the job of the media to do PR for coaching candidates in return.

It’s one thing to express authentic, organic and unsolicited opinions, as we did recently when we wondered whether Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams will stand in the way of a second chance at head coaching. It’s another thing to let “sources” pull the strings (probably just one source, but it always sounds better to make it plural) who want to scratch your back – and who may return the favor many times over become.

The specific language in Schefter’s article suggested different attribution, citing multiple sources and league sources. Here are some of them:

Pete Carroll, coach of the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, has expressed interest in the head coaching position with the Chicago Bears and wants to return to the sidelines next season, league sources told ESPN.

…In recent weeks, Carroll has begun discussing a return to the NFL and is now interested. According to sources, he hasn’t spoken to any team yet, but he would welcome the chance.

Following the Pro Football Talk

Everything you say here is 100 percent wrong. Keep it up and wish you a Merry Christmas.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 25, 2024

Florio responded by referencing Schefter’s recent altercation with radio host/basketball coach Doug Gottlieb:

Thank God the college basketball team I coach isn’t in last place in the Horizon League. https://t.co/OiAmNGoVF5

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 25, 2024

It’s somewhat understandable why Schefter is upset here. There is often speculation as to where an insider got a particular report from, and this is often dismissed by the insiders and not commented on. But this is usually clearly described as speculation. A line like “Which honestly means that Carroll’s agent specifically told Schefter this in the hopes that Schefter would announce it to the world” is a bolder claim than we typically see.

This sentence from Florio is designed as a concrete statement of fact about Schefter’s procurement and actually has a yes or no answer. Either “Carroll’s agent specifically told Schefter this in the hopes that Schefter would make it known to the world,” or he didn’t. And if there was only one source, and it was Carroll’s agent, that would mean that ESPN and Schefter were lying with their “league sources” and “sources said” quotes. So there is a lot at stake here.

That doesn’t mean the problem will be solved. Schefter is unlikely to publicly refute Florio’s claim because that would mean destroying his sources, which apparently isn’t worth it to win an argument with Florio. But it’s notable that he says “100 percent wrong” here. So he makes his own statement of facts, which is either true or false.

Of course, this claim cannot be proven without Schefter revealing his actual sources. So its merits depend on how much you believe and trust Schefter. But it’s interesting to see Schefter approach Florio on this and do it himself, rather than through calls from his ESPN PR colleagues and doing so in a public forum. And it’s significant to see him publicly criticize a high-profile critic so harshly for at least the second time this month, and perhaps signals a change in his general response to criticism.

However, since the actual source of Schefter’s information here will likely never come to light, this will likely remain just a war of words. But it is remarkable to see. And it ties into the larger conversations around procurement and agendas.

It is unlikely that the concrete push by companies like McAfee and Rodgers to limit or eliminate anonymous sourcing will actually be implemented. However, there has been more skepticism about the sourcing and agenda in NFL coverage lately and less trust among insiders.

That remains the crucial component of all these conversations, including this one. Using an anonymous source means you are jeopardizing the credibility of the broadcaster and the reporter instead of the credibility of the source and telling readers, “Trust us: This is valuable information that we have reason to believe.” are worth passing on.”

This has long been a central part of journalistic practice, in sport and beyond. And on the whole it worked, resulting in many stories that would never have been broken with mere official sources. But it requires that trust in the reporter and the medium.

There seems to be a growing number of people, whether players, media members or fans, who are skeptical about the way certain reporters handle their sourcing and reporting. Of course, that doesn’t mean the practice will disappear. But it does mean we’re likely to see more debate about whether reports from certain insiders are actually news worth sharing, or whether they serve the agendas of certain people in the ways critics claim.

(Pro Football Talk, Adam Schefter on X)