Adam Schefter explains the full story behind Aaron Rodgers telling him to lose his number
Aaron Rodgers told ESPN’s Adam Schefter to lose his number during Rodgers’ decision-making process
Aaron Rodgers, who is technically still a member of the Green Bay Packers, dominated sports headlines last week.
Rodgers finally revealed last week, during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, that he plans to play for the New York Jets in 2023.
The Packers still have to come to an agreement with the Jets on a deal.
While Rodgers was explaining to McAfee that he wants to be traded to New York, the future Hall of Fame quarterback revealed that ESPN's Adam Schefter contacted him about his free agency. Rodgers told Schefter to lose his number in response to the text.
Schefter spoke to NBC Sports' Peter King last week about the exchange with Rodgers.
According to Schefter, he's had Rodgers' number for a while. But he didn't decide to utilize it until rumors that Rodgers to the Jets was a "done deal" started flying around early last week.
Here's what Schefter told King, via Pro Football Talk: “I’ve had his number for a while. I never once used it. Trey Wingo reported [last Monday] he was ‘hearing’ that Rodgers to the Jets was done. The day he did it, ESPN was going live from 3 to 5 on free agency. Everyone was saying Aaron Rodgers to the Jets is done. We’re on the air for two hours. I call the Jets, I call the Pack, I call Rodgers’ advisers. No one’s saying anything. So, I’m sitting there on the set with Dianna Russini. ‘Should I text Rodgers?’ She said, ‘Yeah, text him.’ 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. He’s the one who says the media’s getting it wrong. I wanted to go to source and get it right. That’s all. I was just trying to do my job."
Schefter has a great point. Rodgers constantly complains about the media "getting it wrong". So instead of prematurely reporting that Rodgers to the Jets was done, Schefter exhausted all of his resources to make sure his reporting was as factual as possible.
Rodgers clearly takes pride in throwing reporters off. But as one of the most prominent pro athletes in the world, he surely has to understand that fans are extremely interested in his plans for 2023.
When reporters reach out in an effort to make sure their reports are accurate and they get a response like that, it increases the odds of an inaccurate report surfacing.
Rodgers might not like those inaccurate reports, but he has no one but himself to blame for them.
