Adam Schefter addresses viral text message from Aaron Rodgers
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter has shared more information about the viral text message he recently received from Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"I’ve had his number for a while," Schefter told NBC Sports' Peter King for the latest "Football Morning in America" column. "I never once used it. Trey Wingo reported [last Monday] he was 'hearing' that Rodgers to the (New York Jets) was done. The day he did it, ESPN was going live" for a free agency report.
Schefter explained that he called the Jets, the Packers and Rodgers' advisers about Wingo's claim. When Schefter didn't hear back, he asked fellow ESPN NFL insider Dianna Russini if he should reach out to Rodgers directly.
"She said, 'Yeah, text him,'" Schefter remarked. "At 3:35, I texted him. I say, basically: 'Have you informed the Jets that you’d like to play there? I wanted to open it up to you.' He didn’t respond for maybe 10 minutes. So then I called the number, got sent to voice mail. Then he texts me, 'Lose my number. Good try tho.' That’s all."
Two days after Wingo tweeted that he was hearing "Rodgers to the Jets is done," the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player went on "The Pat McAfee Show" and declared that he intends to play for Gang Green during at least the 2023 season. Rodgers also confirmed that he told Schefter to "lose my number."
Schefter later shared visual evidence of Rodgers' message:
As noted by Brian Costello of the New York Post, Rodgers also called Russini's report about him allegedly giving the Jets "a wish list of free agents he'd like them to pursue and acquire" a "ridiculous" and "stupid" story.
Last week wasn't the first time Rodgers lashed out at respected NFL reporters this offseason. He told McAfee in February that individuals such as Schefter and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network "don’t know s---" about him because neither of them is in his "inner circle."
"He’s the one who says the media’s getting it wrong," Schefter told King about Rodgers. "I wanted to go to source and get it right. That’s all. I was just trying to do my job."
It seems Rodgers' feuds with reporters will continue assuming the Packers ship him to the Jets or if he changes his mind and decides he wants to be "all-in" on playing for Green Bay in 2023. For now, media personalities not named Wingo or McAfee may want to save themselves the trouble and avoid texting the future Hall of Famer any questions about his career.
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