Ian Rapoport addresses first ESPN appearances with Adam Schefter

Credit: Kirby Lee - Imagn Images

As NFL Network becomes a product of ESPN, the ability for Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter to coexist under one umbrella remains one of the more interesting aspects of the merger.

Rapoport recently joined Between the Tackles, a podcast hosted by Eric Burgess and former New York Jets beat reporter Manish Mehta.

During the interview, Rapoport was asked becoming teammates with Schefter, and the uncertainty looming around NFL Network now that ESPN holds the keys.

“The process has been really interesting,” Rapoport admitted. “I was on NFL Live for the first time a couple days ago talking about Aaron Rodgers.”

Adan Schefter and Ian Rapoport have spent their careers as adversaries, each being at the top of their craft as the NFL’s premier newsbreakers. And now that they’re both sort of on the same team, Rapoport doesn’t seem to think their dynamic will change much, because he expects ESPN to continue valuing NFL Network as its own entity.

Rapoport, who was recently reported to have agreed to a new deal to remain at NFL Network as it faces potential changes amid the merger with ESPN, noted he has not officially signed his contract yet. But assuming he signs his contract, and assuming the ESPN maintains control of NFL Network for the duration of that contract, Rapoport doesn’t believe his day-to-day job will be altered.

“I don’t know how much is going to be different in the first year or two, or maybe three,” Rapoport said. “Because NFL Network is really good, I think they’re going to sort of beef that up and invest in it. But I don’t think it’s going to be like all of a sudden, everyone who was on NFL Network is just going to be on ESPN all the time. Because NFL Network is a really good product in itself, and you want that to be really good.

“I don’t think the viewers want wholesale changes. Nobody wants wholesale changes for anything, ever. Except for fans when they want to fire everyone. So I think my general life is probably going to be pretty much the same for a while.”

Ian Rapoport knows ESPN believes in what NFL Network has done and is doing, and he hopes ESPN will now add to NFL Network’s resources, not drain from it. That’s not typically what happens when a merger and acquisition is finalized, but if anyone would be able to get the inside scoop, it would be Rapoport.

“ESPN is very, very good at what it does. Very good,” Rapoport continued. “I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”

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