The world of sports is often filled with rumors and speculations. This time around, Pro Football Talk (PFT) has found itself at the center of controversy regarding an exclusive story.
On Monday, PFT’s founder and creator, Mike Florio, reported a potential scoop stating that Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback, Kirk Cousins, was considering moving from Minnesota to Atlanta.
We're picking up very credible indications that Kirk Cousins is planning a potential move of his family from Minnesota to Atlanta. https://t.co/ZSlTq9tnMc
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 5, 2024
The report sparked rounds of speculation that Cousins could be on the way to joining the Atlanta Falcons in the upcoming season.
However, Florio’s report, which claimed “very credible indications” of Cousins considering the move, lacked an identifiable source.
“We can’t get into the specifics, for now,” wrote Florio. “But we’re getting very credible indications that Cousins is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta. Which would mean, obviously, that he’d be signing with the Falcons.”
This absence led some NFL fans to question the legitimacy of Florio’s sources.
We're picking up very credible indications that Kirk Cousins is planning a potential move of his family from Minnesota to Atlanta. https://t.co/ZSlTq9tnMc
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 5, 2024
I hope Florio got a tip from like a moving truck company https://t.co/I49Z5e5Ism pic.twitter.com/QK4WXOUABp
— Offseason Chopz (@Pchopz_) March 5, 2024
Facing mounting criticism, Florio defended his claims through a fiery social media post.
Aimed at his detractors, he argued about the weight of his experience and the universal acceptance of his platform in the NFL community.
Florio proudly stated PFT’s far-reaching presence, reminding critics that he had been in the field for 23 years, and that everyone in the league followed PFT.
“To the folks who try and dismiss our reports by saying we have no sources or whatever, you realize we had like 50 guests on our show last week from Indy, right? You realize pretty much everyone in the league reads PFT, right? You realize I’ve been doing this 23 years, right???”
To the folks who try to dismiss our reports by saying we have no sources or whatever, you realize we had like 50 guests on our show last week from Indy, right? You realize pretty much everyone in the league reads PFT, right? You realize I've been doing this 23 years, right???
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 5, 2024
Despite his assertions, this is not the first time Florio and PFT have faced backlash for the supposed legitimacy of their sources.
Yet, each time, Florio has stood undeterred, confident about the credibility of his reports.
In his post on PFT, Florio made it clear that Cousins and his family have not officially announced the move.
He was merely reporting the possibility of such an event based on the information he’d received.
He encouraged all participants to consider this point before questioning his work’s authenticity.
