ESPN is about to lock down another one of its top NFL insiders. Adam Schefter, the network’s longtime NFL reporter, is nearing a contract extension that would keep him at ESPN into the next decade, according to Front Office Sports. The deal is reportedly close to being finalized.
Schefter, 59, has been with ESPN since 2009. He came over from the Denver Post and quickly became one of the most recognizable faces on NFL Countdown. He worked alongside the late Chris Mortensen, and for more than 15 years now he’s been a primary source for breaking NFL news. He made it clear earlier this year that he wasn’t planning to retire anytime soon. So this extension was expected.
The timing is interesting though. Ian Rapoport just signed his own extension with ESPN after the network’s merger with NFL Network. Rapoport had been at NFL Network since 2012, and before that he covered the Patriots for the Boston Herald. He’s now part of a roster that is absolutely loaded with NFL insiders: Tom Pelissero, Mike Garafolo, Jeremy Fowler, Kimberley Martin, Dan Graziano, Jeff Darlington, Judy Battista — and now Rapoport, plus Schefter presumably sticking around.
That’s a lot of reporters for one league. But ESPN clearly values having depth across every platform. Rapoport will appear across ESPN while still doing work for NFL Network. Schefter will almost certainly keep doing his thing the same way he always has.
It’s worth remembering what happened with Adrian Wojnarowski. He left ESPN in 2024 to become general manager at St. Bonaventure. That was a surprise. But Schefter has shown no interest in leaving journalism. He’s a Michigan and Northwestern guy, came up through newspapers, and seems to genuinely enjoy the chase. He’s not going anywhere.
Whatever the final numbers look like on this deal, it’s a clear signal that ESPN sees its NFL insider stable as a long-term asset. And Schefter will be at the center of it for years to come.
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