Two of the most prominent tight ends in the NFL signed new contracts on Wednesday afternoon. They share the same agent, who appeared to mandate that reporters refer to him by a very specific, self-created title in exchange for scoops.
It’s a really funny thing that went largely unnoticed.
Steve Caric facilitated both deals. He has been an NFLPA certified agent since 2008 as part of the Wasserman Media Group. While his name is not on the same status as the Drew Rosenhaus type (very few people are), he has negotiated more than 25 current NFL contracts.
That number includes his two most recent negotiations.
The first news broke just after 1:00 p.m. ET. Ian Rapoport reported that Dalton Schultz signed a three-year, $36 million contract to stay with the Houston Texans.
In breaking the news, the NFL insider referred to Caric as a “tight end guru.”
The second news broke about 40 minutes later when Tom Pelissero reported that Zach Ertz is signing a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders. He also referred to Caric as a “TE guru.”
Wording in both posts were very similar.
We do not know for certain that Caric specifically requested both Pelissero and Rapoport to use the “guru” title while breaking the news. However, it certainly seems that way.
When it comes to contract signings, agents are oftentimes the “source.” In fact, that is true more often than not.
Agents will typically hit up insiders like Pelissero and Rapoport with a scoop. They usually work with the reporter on a specific phrasing for the report.
In this instance, considering that Caric is not referred to as a “tight end guru” anywhere else online, it makes it seem like he told Pelissero and Rapoport to use that title in exchange for the news. And that’s objectively hilarious.