It's truly fascinating how quickly the reputation of a sports "insider" can be tainted. For NBC analyst Chris Simms, the sheer inaccuracy of his last two scoops has unfortunately forced him to this undesirable list.
The former NFL quarterback's latest gaffe came in the form of him reporting that Dak Prescott rejected a record-breaking five-year, $175 million contract extension from the Dallas Cowboys. Almost immediately, trusted insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport threw cold water on Simms' assertion.
This swing-and-miss comes on the heels of Simms claiming that the Seattle Seahawks offered superstar gunslinger Russell Wilson to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick ahead of the 2018 Draft. To make matters worse, the NBC pundit doubled down by saying that Seattle was prepared to nab Wyoming QB Josh Allen with that pick. We really don't need to take a deep dive into the absurdity behind such a rumor.
From this point forward, if Simms is the primary source behind a significant breaking news piece, it would probably be safe to reexamine it.
Despite being nowhere near Schefter's and Rapoport's prestige, the 39-year-old seems to want to beat every other insider to the punch. Doing so while disregarding further corroboration is alarming, and violates a cardinal rule of journalism.
These blown Wilson and Prescott reports, quashed by plenty of other sources, prove it's time for Simms to reassess and head back to the drawing board.