As one of the top reporters in all of sports, Adam Schefter is certainly far from an unreliable source when it comes to breaking news. And, on Friday, the longtime ESPN NFL insider decided to have a little fun with that fact courtesy of an “update” on the future of Lamar Jackson.
During his latest appearance on the Barstool Sports podcast Pardon My Take, Schefter halted a conversation with hosts Dan “Big Cat” Katz and PFT Commenter to check one of his two phones after it buzzed. Schefter appeared to be on the edge of his seat after telling Katz and PFT he received some interesting news in a text about Jackson, who has been subjected to trade speculation in recent months as he remains deadlocked in negotiations with the Ravens over a new deal.
Schefter then showed them the text to prove it was legit but, before he could relay the news, noted Washington fan PFT added to the commotion by jokingly shouting, “Announce Lamar Jackson to the Commanders.” Schefter’s face suggested the joke may have been closer to reality than they thought, prompting both PFT and Katz to fire off a few NSFW reactions of disbelief before he dropped the “bombshell.”
“Just a little heads up, this deal with Washington and Lamar is starting to pick up,” said Schefter as he read the text from the supposed unnamed source. “With what they’re offering, it’s now looking like it’ll get agreed to tonight. Someone here will keep you posted when it’s about to be finalized. Wanted you to be ready, talk soon.”
While Schefter appeared as serious as can be, both hosts still remained unconvinced that one of PFT’s biggest dreams was about to come true. “This is not real, this is not real, this is a set-up,” PFT said while Katz told Schefter, “You’re setting us up!”
After the bit continued on through the interview, Schefter eventually revealed that the text was indeed a prank that he orchestrated with the help of another big-time NFL journalist in Ari Meirov. Still, given the drama that surrounded the moment, the “fake news” managed to make a real impression on social media as “Lamar to Washington” was seen trending on Twitter on Friday afternoon.
Needless to say, it may take some time for PFT and Commanders fans to get over Schefter’s well-executed prank, and the likelihood that Washington is not in the mix to land Jackson any time soon.
