{"id":795832,"date":"2026-03-06T09:37:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T09:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/795832\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T09:37:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T09:37:13","slug":"adam-schefter-mike-florio-continue-sparring-over-carnell-tates-40-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/795832\/","title":{"rendered":"Adam Schefter, Mike Florio continue sparring over Carnell Tate\u2019s 40 time"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no Ian Rapoport-Jordan Schultz at the Indianapolis Starbucks<\/a>, but we\u2019ll take our sports media fights where we can find them.<\/p>\n

It began on Monday when ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter took to social media to explain that several teams had clocked Carnell Tate\u2019s 40 time much lower than the official listing for the first-round prospect at the NFL Combine.<\/p>\n

That was unusual given the added context, especially when compared to his posts about other players\u2019 times, which didn\u2019t include such context, leading some to believe that Schefter was doing a favor to Tate\u2019s agent, Drew Rosenhaus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, a potential top 10 pick, was timed by several NFL executives and GMs on Saturday with a 40 time in the range of 4.45-4.47 seconds.<\/p>\n

Although the combine registers official times, teams always conduct their own timing, and those measurements with some\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Pro Football Talk\u2019s Mike Florio noticed Schefter\u2019s post and questioned<\/a> whether Schefter had \u201ccanvass[ed] multiple teams for their numbers\u201d or \u201csimply copy and paste[d] a text from Rosenhaus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe broader point, as addressed by [Awful Announcing\u2019s Drew] Lerner, is that some are seeing through Schefter\u2019s \u2018report\u2019 as an effort to do a favor for Tate\u2019s agent, Drew Rosenhaus,\u201d wrote Florio. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the gig, and it\u2019s something that \u2014 to the trained eye \u2014 is instantly recognizable.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Schefter canvass multiple teams for their numbers, or did he simply copy and paste a text from Rosenhaus? Given the way the insider sausage gets made, the far safer bet is the latter.\u201d<\/p>\n

That led Schefter to bring out some receipts in the form of screenshots<\/a> suggesting he had indeed reached out to multiple teams to confirm their measurements of Tate\u2019s 40-yard dash time.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to prove you\u2019re wrong, again,\u201d Schefter captioned the post.<\/p>\n

While the screenshots couldn\u2019t be verified on a personal or timeline basis, the criticism clearly struck a nerve with Schefter, who felt the need to respond directly.<\/p>\n

Things might have ended there. However, Schefter discussed the fracas on Thursday\u2019s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, saying of Florio\u2019s commentary, \u201cIt was uncalled for. It was unprofessional. And it was unnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

WELL DONE @AdamSchefter<\/a> \ud83d\udc4f #PMSLive<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/5VK8NbrI2s<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/974flftP4T<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

As one would expect, Florio had some thoughts on Shefter\u2019s assessment<\/a> of his journalistic integrity.<\/p>\n

Whether it was \u201ccalled for\u201d was for me to decide.\u00a0Awful Announcing\u00a0had written about it, and I decided it was an interesting point to make about how NFL insider sausage gets made.<\/p>\n

Whether it was \u201cprofessional\u201d is a matter of opinion. Is it \u201cprofessional\u201d to explain to the audience why something that seemed on the surface to be unusual happened?<\/p>\n

Whether it was \u201cnecessary\u201d is inherently subjective. But I can understand why the person at the center of the issue would deem it unnecessary to explore why he was doing a favor for Rosenhaus, whose fee on the first four years of Tate\u2019s contract will be tied directly to how high Tate is drafted.<\/p>\n

Florio then reiterates that when it comes to Drew Rosenhaus\u2019s clients, Schefter always seems to be the one who gets the news first, citing Thursday\u2019s DJ Moore trade news, which Schefter broke<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The PFT boss then put a bow on his argument, standing his ground that Schefter was doing Rosenhaus a solid by posting what he did about Tate.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchefter\u2019s decision to focus on a potential flaw in the official, laser-timed 40 from Tate and to not make that point for anyone else who ran it can be explained in very simple terms,\u201d Florio wrote. \u201cSchefter was doing a favor for someone who does plenty of favors for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your move, Schefty.<\/p>\n

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