Jordan Schultz-Ian Rapoport beef, explained: Why NFL insiders had ‘verbal altercation’ in Starbucks at NFL Combine

The NFL Combine is an excellent time of the year to hear all of the latest rumors going around the league.

As upcoming draftees, scouts, agents, executives, coaches, and media all gather in Indianapolis for the event, plenty of rumors are started and news is broken in regards to the upcoming free agency period and NFL Draft.

On Wednesday though, two of the NFL’s leading insiders, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, reportedly had a verbal confrontation in a Starbucks while in Indianapolis for the combine.

Here’s what to know about the beef between Rapoport and Schultz after each released conflicting reports about one of the NFL offseason’s key storylines.

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Jordan Schultz-Ian Rapoport beef, explained

Matthew Stafford’s future with the Rams has already become one of the most significant brewing storylines of the 2025 NFL offseason. With Los Angeles reportedly letting Stafford’s agent speak with other teams about his value on the market, league insiders have been releasing tidbits of information regarding Stafford and the Rams.

The origin of the Schultz and Rapoport beef begins with the Stafford situation. On Wednesday, Schultz reported that Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner of the Raiders, “recently hosted” Stafford in his Montana home as Brady continues to “actively try to convince” Stafford to join Las Vegas this offseason.

Just a few hours later, Rapoport added his own spin on the exact same situation between Brady and Stafford. Rapoport wrote that the interaction between the two quarterbacks was “unplanned.” He then went as far as to note that Brady did not host or recruit Stafford, “despite reports saying otherwise.”

It was obvious that Rapoport was downplaying Schultz’s prior report, creating a rift between the two insiders. The riff became even more real when details were released about a face-to-face interaction between Rapoport and Schultz in Indianapolis.

With both reporters in town for the combine, NBC Sports’ Mike Florio reported Wednesday night that earlier in the day, Schultz and Rapoport “engaged in a verbal altercation” in the Starbucks at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. Earlier in the day, Barstool’s PFT Commenter posted on social media that there was a “big-time media confrontation” at a Starbucks.

Florio detailed the interaction in his story, writing that Rapoport was talking to an agent at the Starbucks when Schultz approached him and said “We need to talk,” to which Rapoport responded, “We don’t need to talk.”

Per Florio, Schultz then “made accusations about Rapoport.” Rapoport denied them, and Schultz used some profanity toward Rapoport while telling him to say things to his face. The interaction was reported to NFL Security, who took statements from witnesses. 

Schultz told PFT, via text message, that the interaction “really isn’t anything too much” and “it lasted a little over a minute” before Rapoport called security over. 

MORE: Latest trade rumors about Rams QB Matthew Stafford

Who is Jordan Schultz’s dad? 

There’s another twist in the Starbucks confrontation between Rapoport and Schultz. 

Schultz is the son of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who served three stints (1986-2000, 2008-17, 2022-23) in the role leading the coffee company. Howard Schultz, who began working at Starbucks in 1982, also owned the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics from 2001-06.

Schultz is also an author, as he’s written four books about business. Jordan Schultz has previously worked for Yahoo Sports, HuffPost, Bleacher Report, and more before his current role with Fox Sports.