Marcus Spears was the first to admit it on Monday: He got got.
As the unofficial start of NFL free agency got underway with a flurry of agreed-upon deals, the former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman fell for a tweet from a fake Adam Schefter X account purporting that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen had signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
To be fair, Spears wasn’t the only ESPN personality to fall for the fake social media post. But that the innocent mistake wound up being a net positive for him as he broke the actual news on Tuesday that Queen had agreed to a three-year, $41 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Filed from @mspears96: Ravens free-agent LB Patrick Queen told @mspears96 that he plans to sign a three-year, $41 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers,” the real Adam Schefter posted to X (formerly Twitter).
Filed from @mspears96: Ravens free-agent LB Patrick Queen told @mspears96 that he plans to sign a three-year, $41 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. pic.twitter.com/esTfKGnsvg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2024
“A great signing by the way for Pitt!!!” Spears posted in a retweet. “PQ is a Ball player and one of the most versatile LBs in the League.”
A great signing by the way for Pitt!!! PQ is a Ball player and one of the most versatile LBs in the League https://t.co/ZChQxgXue6
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) March 12, 2024
Considering Spears isn’t one to break news very often, it would be interesting to learn how this scoop came together.
Presumably, Spears and Queen have some sort of preexisting relationship built through their shared alma mater of LSU. Spears is a native of Baton Rouge who is still heavily involved in the community, while Queen starred on the Tigers’ championship defense in 2019.
Was the plan always for Spears to break the news of Queen’s free agency decision and he got duped by the fake post? Or was this Queen’s way of showing love to his fellow Tiger as a make-good following his mistake on Monday?
A true journalist never reveals his sources. Then again, Spears already told us that he got the information directly from the linebacker himself, so what would be the harm in letting the rest of us in on how this all transpired?
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.