Why was Adam Schefter absent from NFL Draft 2022 in Las Vegas?
Adam Schefter has become a staple during the NFL Draft in his role with ESPN. He is always on camera, while on his phone, breaking news and tipping picks as fast as possible.
That is why so many fans were confused Thursday night when he was nowhere to be seen. He was still tweeting, but he was absent from ESPN's coverage for the entire night. So where was he?
Adam Schefter had a good reason to miss the NFL Draft
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Those who pay very close attention to news releases may have been aware that Adam Schefter is missing the draft in order to attend his son's college graduation. ESPN announced that information several weeks ago.
Yet, his absence did not mean he was simply off enjoying a graduation ceremony. Quite the contrary, he was busy and was the one who broke the AJ Brown trade news. He was also noticed tweeting all night on Thursday and all day on Friday.
Raiders declined the fifth-year contract options on all three former 2019 first-round draft picks, DE Clelin Ferrell, RB Josh Jacobs and S Johnathan Abram.
He wasn't the only one absent, as draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. was also forced to show up remotely due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19. That led to a bit of a clunky broadcast, but one that still worked for ESPN.
The good news for the network is that Adam Schefter can be off-site breaking news while the reporters on-air relay what he has to say. The only difference is that he is not the one directly saying the news. However, NFL fans flock to Twitter during the draft, seeing his tweets as soon as they appear.
Schefter recently signed a new deal with ESPN, so, missing the draft will not affect his status with the network. ESPN had to battle to retain him, so they are clearly giving him some leeway to attend an important moment in his son's life.
The NFL Draft continues on Friday and Saturday without Schefter in attendance. But fans can stick to Twitter to see the reporter break news like he was doing at the event the whole time.
He may just end up being the parent at graduation who is on their phone the entire time. The difference is he is breaking news to millions around the world, showing off his reporting skills while being away from the festivities in Las Vegas.