The biggest story to come out of last week’s NFL Scouting Combine didn’t have anything to do with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, but rather Jordan Schultz and Ian Rapoport.
As you likely know by now, the two NFL insiders were involved in a confrontation at a downtown Indianapolis hotel Starbucks, which seemed to stem over their conflicting reporting on the Las Vegas Raiders’ reported pursuit of Matthew Stafford.
The days since have seen the brewhaha (get it?) become a source of content for Schultz and Rapoport’s colleagues, Inside the NBA and even Rapoport, himself. And on Monday, Schultz broke his silence, addressing the altercation with 670 The Score’s Leila Rahimi.
“I think what happened between Ian and I probably had been brewing for quite some time,” the Fox Sports insider said. “And I just felt like I needed to say what I said and make it clear that I didn’t appreciate the way he was talking about me. And I felt I did that.
Schultz didn’t dive into specifics, included the reported rumor that he had accused the NFL Network insider of saying that he had offered sources Uber stock — yes, Uber stock — in exchange for scoops. He did, however, address the photo of the confrontation that was obtained by Awful Announcing, in which a smiling Schultz can be seen speaking with Rapoport with the Starbucks logo in clear view.
“Obviously, you saw the photo. I don’t think the photo was particularly intimidating,” Jordan Schultz, who coincidentally is the son of longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, said. “But regardless of how you view it, I just felt like, for me, it was an important thing to say, important to get off my chest. I thought I did it. Hopefully we can move forward.”
As for what’s next, that will likely depend on the outcome of NFL security’s investigation into the matter. And while the Raiders’ pursuit of Stafford might have generated some good content — both in NFL and sports media circles — it also appears to have all been for naught, with the Super Bowl-winning quarterback ultimately just restructuring his contract to remain with the Rams.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.