NFL Suspends Ian Rapoport for Two Weeks

One of the premier football insiders in the game right now has been suspended by the NFL. Ian Rapoport issued a statement, explaining that he will be off air until October 22nd due to a post he made on social media. The post was an ad for Manscaped, a device intended to groom the male groin area.

The video was posted in mid-September, and due to the guidelines he went against, a suspension was handed out.

The suspension comes as a bit of a shock, especially with it being for two weeks. In past years, that level of suspension to a reporter was reserved for only a select few occurrences. Most of those had been situations where major allegations were made, and that specific reporter had legal issues to take care of whilst suspended. It seems unusual for this suspension to be given for an ad that the NFL Network did not preapprove.

Due to his contract with both the league and NFL Network, Rapoport was not technically allowed to have a direct deal with Manscaped. His post, as well as his colleague Jane Slater’s, disappeared within a day of posting. Whether that was him deleting, or the NFL taking the video down, clearly there was an issue.

Rapoport is certainly one of the most well-known and reliable media personalities in the NFL. He breaks trades and free agency signings as they happen. He predicts draft picks before the commissioner gets on the stage. Throughout the NFL season, he helps fans and fantasy football managers with injury and other updates throughout every game week. His role is crucial in keeping the fan connected to the game and players.

With this suspension, many reporters will be given more of a spotlight for the next two weeks. It will be very interesting to see if there is any explanation from the league on the severity. It still seems strange for this ad to have created such an issue for the league.