For over a decade, Ian Rapoport has been one of the most recognizable faces delivering breaking news across the NFL landscape, often shaping league-wide conversations with real-time updates and insider scoops.
But as the NFL Network moves closer to a sweeping structural transition behind the scenes, the stability surrounding one of its top insiders may no longer be guaranteed.
With his current contract nearing its expiration window and organizational changes quietly unfolding at the network level, questions have begun to surface about what lies ahead for the veteran reporter.
MORE: Stephen Curry and Halle Berry launch groundbreaking new media venture
While no official decision has been announced, Rapoport broke the silence about his future on February 19 to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand and revealed the details of what might come next.
“Just so we are clear, I don’t know what is coming,” Rapoport told The Athletic. “No one has told me, ‘It’s going to be like this. It’s going to be like that.’ There are a lot of things I don’t know. A lot of people don’t know, but I’m excited because ESPN is very good at what it does. From my understanding, it is going to be more football, more coverage, investing in NFL Network and making it as best as it could possibly be.”
The ESPN–NFL agreement marks a major shift in how the league’s media arm will operate moving forward. Reached in August 2025, the deal gives ESPN control over key NFL Media properties. It includes NFL Network and NFL RedZone, while the NFL receives a 10% equity stake in ESPN.
After receiving regulatory approval on January 31, 2026, the agreement is expected to take effect operationally in April 2026, when NFL Media employees could transition under ESPN’s umbrella.
This timeline is especially significant for Ian Rapoport, whose current NFL Network contract expires in May 2026. With ESPN already employing Adam Schefter as its lead NFL insider, the new structure could create internal role overlap. It is expected that Rapoport’s long-term position will remain uncertain during the transition period.
Talking about him and Schefter working together, Rapoport added, “If [Schefter and I] were to work together, I think that would be awesome. I have no idea if it is going to happen. But it would be like The Avengers.”
One of the key storylines to watch following the transition will be how ESPN manages Ian Rapoport, who has long been Adam Schefter’s top rival in breaking NFL news. As the leading insider at NFL Network, Rapoport has 12 years and 11 months with the Network, competing directly with Schefter on reporting trades, signings, injuries, and other league transactions.
With both reporters potentially falling under the same corporate umbrella after the shift, questions are emerging about whether ESPN would find value in retaining two high-profile insiders who largely operate within the same reporting space.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
OLYMPICS: USA figure skater Isabeau Levito gushes over Olympic Village
NFL: Tyreek Hill makes hilarious first move after Dolphins release
CBB: 2026 college basketball rankings, updated AP Top 25 after Week 15
MLB: Tigers infielder from Taiwan apologizes to Koreans after trash talk goes viral
SPORTS MEDIA: College Hall of Famer, father of Chicago Bulls coach, dies
VIRAL: Chloe Kim ‘obsessed’ with $100k gift from NFL star Myles Garrett after Olympics
