Ian Rapoport's wife Leah reveals husband's cut-throat rivalry with Adam Schefter

Sports journalism can be a cut-throat business, especially in the instant news world we now live in. When it comes to the NFL, the names Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter are easily the two most recognizable. Rapoport has been with the NFL network for a decade, while Schefter has accrued eighteen years of service.

You would imagine there must be a competitive rivalry between the pair, as both strive to be the undisputed No. 1 in their field. As it turns out, there is, and the source of that information can be considered very reliable as it is Rapoport's wife, Leah, who has spilled the beans.

Ian and Leah Rapoport sat down for an in-depth interview with the New York Post's Ryan Glasspiegel, and Leah had the following to say:

"Whenever there’s a story, it’s never like, ‘What random San Francisco reporter may have broken a Niners story?’ That doesn’t matter. It wasn’t Schefter. If Schefter got there first on the news someone signed, it’s like, ‘Did I get the numbers first?’ It’s always an intense me vs. him. There’s no way around it. I’ve never met him. I don’t know him at all. But I’m definitely Team Rapsheet.”

Ian moved quickly to downplay any heat between the pair by saying:

"There’s nothing personal with me and him. It’s really fine. There’s a good mutual respect. We’ll sometimes email each other. It’s not like the Woj v. Shams dunk-a-thon"

It was far from a convincing interjection. Leah then followed up with some further comments that did little to dispel the rumors of a rivalry:

"Schefter just got a huge contract. Ultimately, that’s good for Ian. No hard feelings there"

Ian Rapoport vs. Adam Schefter rivalry

Schefter tweeted that Andrew Luck was planning to retire during the Bears game's fourth quarter.

There has long been speculation that the two most respected journalists in the NFL have a personal animosity. Despite both shooting these claims down, the rumors have prevailed. So much so that in an interview in 2020, when Rapoport was asked who would win in a fight between him and his arch-rival, he said:

"I was a high school wrestler. If we wrestled, I think I'd have a good chance of winning."

Both have certainly not been short of criticism either, especially in recent years. Schefter was heavily scrutinized after leaked emails from the Washington Commanders investigation highlighted some of his work practices.

This involved allowing the Washington team president, Bruce Allen, to edit articles before they were released. He was also subject to legal action after illegally acquiring the confidential medical records of former New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. The case was later settled out of court.

Rapoport also found himself in hot water recently after he referenced the addiction issues faced by quarterback Matt Corral shortly after the Carolina Panthers drafted him. Only last week, he was caught joking about Brittney Griner following news of a Russian court handing her a nine-year prison sentence.

How bitter is the rivalry between the two journalists? It is difficult to say for sure, but they are certainly not on each other's Christmas card lists.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The New York Post and H/T Sportskeeda.