O
ne of football’s most respected insiders is staying at ESPN. On Wednesday, April 29, it was announced that ESPN and NFL insider, Ian Rapoport, agreed to a new long-term contract extension, keeping Rapoport on ESPN’s programming for the forseeable future. Also an insider for NFL Network, the merger between NFL Network and ESPN raised questions about the future of personalities such as Rapoport. Now, Rapoport becomes the first NFL Network employee to re-up at ESPN.
Finalized earlier this year, the merger between NFL Network and ESPN means that all on-air employees are inherited by ESPN, subject to their current contracts. But once the deals expire, they start to deal solely with ESPN, with questions raised about what the future would hold for those long time NFL Network employees. But Rapoport, a valued and very respected insider, is staying put. Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel was the first to break the news, reporting Rapoport’s new contract as a four-year agreement.
Rapoport’s Deal
The exact terms of the deal are unknown, but with it being a four-year deal, Rapoport will appear on several ESPN telecasts while also continuing to appear on NFL Network’s shows. But arguably the most notable factor in the contract is how it impacts Rapoport’s relationship with longtime ESPN insider, Adam Schefter. Considered rivals for most of their careers, with reports at one points suggesting that Rapoport was in the succession plans for Schefter, the two are now partners and will most likely appear together on ESPN’s platforms.
The question now becomes how Rapoport proceeds with the merger. It is still unknown whether or not each network will continue to have their own separate content or if ESPN will integrate NFL Network’s coverage into their plans. Whatever happens though, Rapoport will surely be even more of a fixture on our TV screens when it comes to football programming.
Rapoport’s Career
Starting his career covering Mississippi State football before moving onto covering Alabama, Rapoport got his first job in professional sports journalism in 2009, when he was hired to serve as the New England Patriots beat reporter for the Boston Herald. After three seasons covering the Patriots and their dominance, Rapoport joined NFL Network in 2012, where he has remained ever since before the merger moved him over to ESPN.
And over the course of his career, Rapoport and Schefter have been the go-tos for all things NFL news, from trades, injuries, signings and everything in between. With the two now working side by side, NFL coverage could very well reach a new level.
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