Adrian Wojnarowski’s sudden retirement from ESPN and the NBA insider scene sent shockwaves through sports media. In the aftermath, Adam Schefter emerged as a potential candidate to take on dual duties as both an NFL and NBA insider at ESPN. Such a prospect seemed astounding considering the intense demands of both roles and the burnout that prompted Woj’s departure.
However, Schefter himself claimed in an interview with CNBC’s Alex Sherman that he found the idea “very doable.” He discussed the reports regarding his possible transition into Woj’s role alongside his existing NFL responsibilities, a position ultimately filled by ESPN’s hiring of top NBA insider, Shams Charania. Schefter even envisioned a scenario where he could cover all sports.
“Oh, I actually think it’s very doable, very doable. I think that Woj’s skill – as a newsman, as an insider, you understand how the business works, and you understand the relationships that make it all possible. And big stories are big stories, whether they’re in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, whatever it may be. And so, I believe that if I wanted, I could go try to replace – I would never be Woj, but I would do it the way that I would. Woj is a legend. And I think that I definitely could do that job. And I think I could do that job in a more than competent way. Now, I actually thought – like it never came up with ESPN beyond a peripheral conversation or two, so it never really gained any traction there. But I think it would have been really cool to just be an insider for all sports.”
Upon Woj’s retirement, Schefter paid tribute to his colleague on ESPN, stating, “he wanted his life back.” Clearly, Schefter does not share those sentiments, especially as he once boasted about breaking news while making love. Yet, the reality of him replacing Woj proved impractical due to ESPN’s contract situation. Schefter revealed he felt he had “golden handcuffs” on the football beat, which would complicate any potential transition.
“So I mean, again, those types of discussions did not come up. So it’s a moot point, but I thought about it, and I definitely think Woj – you know, Woj and I talked, and if Woj had waited until our contracts were up together, which we did our deals together, I would have been interested in that. But he went early. So it’s not feasible when, to your point, I’ve got the golden handcuffs on the football beat, and that’s what I was doing, if that makes sense.”
Ultimately, the idea of Adam Schefter as an NBA/NFL insider may remain only a concept. However, Schefter mentioned to Sherman that he sees golf as a sport in need of more breaking news coverage. With ESPN’s involvement in major tournaments like The Masters, it might be possible to see him branching out to satisfy his urge to expand his reporting beyond the NFL.
