Mike Florio rips NFL insiders for reporting misleading contract values

Well-known NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and NBC Sports is tired of others in his industry being overly friendly with agents by purposely sharing misleading information about player contracts. 

"The agents use the reports of the value of the contracts they negotiate as recruiting fodder to get more clients," Florio explained during a Tuesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," as shared by Brendon Kleen of Awful Announcing and Jeff Kotuby of Barrett Sports Media. "So when the agent sends the group text to all of the folks who are clamoring to be the first ones to win the thumb race to Twitter with the details, the reporters don’t ask questions. They don’t push back. Because you know what happens when you push back? I found out. You don’t get the texts anymore." 

Florio mentioned no reporters by name but certainly seemed to be referencing personalities frequently featured by ESPN and NFL Network. For example, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were holding onto star wide receiver Mike Evans via a two-year, $52M contract that includes $35M guaranteed. Florio later revealed Evans actually agreed to a two-year deal worth $41M that includes $11M "in the form of incentives and escalators" and $29M fully guaranteed at signing.

Last March, Florio was among those who reported that the Seattle Seahawks could've moved on from what seemed to be a massive contract signed by quarterback Geno Smith after just one campaign. It's now hardly a secret that the New York Giants can escape the four-year contract reportedly worth up to $160M that quarterback Daniel Jones signed in March 2023 as soon as next offseason. 

Kotuby pointed out that reporters such as Schefter and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network "have been criticized in the past for serving as agent mouthpieces." Florio wants no part of that game but somehow still manages to learn the specifics about noteworthy contracts. 

"You start asking questions, you’re not on the text chain anymore," Florio told McAfee. "I’m not on the text chain anymore. But…I get the real contracts." 

ESPN airs McAfee's show but also employs reporters who, in Florio's words, "don’t ask questions" about what they hear from agents. McAfee holds creative control regarding his program, but it will nevertheless be interesting to see if he continues to have Florio as a guest.