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NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport announced on Friday night that he was suspended until Oct. 22, leaving many to wonder what he did.

In his statement sharing news of the suspension, Rapoport said he “posted something to my social channels without clearance from NFL Network, which went against its guidelines.”

There was some speculation the suspension was related to Rapoport posting about the Tennessee Titans having an unauthorized practice. That is unlikely the explanation, because Rapoport would almost certainly have deleted the offending tweet. His tweet regarding the practice is still up on his account.

• Ian, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo get to the task of mocking up the coming virtual Draft. Highlights include FOUR trades for the Browns, a slide for Tua Tagovailoa and tales of Tom’s very newly detailed spreadsheet. Plus two wide receiver prospects dial in – Alabama’s Henry Ruggs (26:25).
• 334k Followers, 130 Following, 1,224 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ian Rapoport (@rapsheet).

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport laid out where the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after Friday morning trades. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. The latest tweets from @RapSheet.

So what happened?

Jane Slater, one of Rapoport’s colleagues at NFL Media, deleted a tweet Friday that might explain things.

In her deleted tweet, Slater seemed to shed light on the suspension.

Sobre o Ian Rapoport, a Jane Slater tweetou isso e apagou depois pic.twitter.com/kO00DXdV7t

— Victor (@victorfrazaao) October 10, 2020

Slater wrote in the deleted tweet:

'Backstory: Sad that it took me reposting his 'Manscape' IG video for this to rise to this level of severity. To be very clear, I thought it was funny and I’m not ok with my friend and colleague getting punished for it under false guises of double standards.'

It appears that Rapoport posted a video on his Instagram story in mid-September promoting Manscaped, a product for male grooming.

“The perfect tools, for your family jewels,” reportedly was one of the quotes Rapoport used in the video.

According to Fantasy Life App CEO Yasin Abbak, Slater brought more attention to the video by tweeting it, leading to a reply from Rapoport. Slater later deleted that September tweet.

I remembered that Ian replied to Jane Slater’s original tweet that linked to Ian’s manscaped promo vid. Here is Ian’s reply to that tweet, and Jane’s tweet is now deleted. Makes sense that the Manscaped ad is the reason for his suspension.

Sorry Ian. Oct 22 will be a good day. https://t.co/xLYmNrK0Jjpic.twitter.com/RMFIYVCUG3

— Yasin Abbak (@YouFoundYasin) October 10, 2020

If this indeed is the reason for the suspension, it’s unclear whether someone found the video to be inappropriate in nature, or whether Rapoport failed to disclose the partnership before using his social media channels to promote the ad.

What we do know is that Rapoport has been suspended until Oct. 22.

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Ian Rapoport, understandably, found himself shocked when New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested in June 2013 on a murder charge.

Rapoport, who now works for NFL Media, had covered Hernandez for a local paper during the tight end’s three seasons in New England. Although the two got along, their relationship eventually became so bad that Hernandez made comments that, in hindsight, may not have been the joke some thought he’d made.

Aaron Hernandez threatened to murder Ian Rapoport

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Ian Rapoport has come across plenty of unusual stories in his years covering football, both at the professional and collegiate level.

In an interview with Westchester Magazine in New York earlier this year, Rapoport reflected on his relationship with former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. Rapoport, who previously covered the Patriots as a beat reporter for the Boston Herald, said he even befriended Hernandez at one point.

Their relationship didn’t stop Hernandez, who spent three seasons in the NFL, from threatening Rapoport in front of at least one other media member.

“He once said that if I f—ed him wrong, he’d kill me. At the time, I laughed it off. It didn’t really hit home until the charges came to light. When he said it, I was standing next to another reporter, who texted me [after Hernandez was indicted] and said, ‘Remember when Aaron said that to you? I guess he was serious,’ and I was like, ‘I guess so.’”

Rapoport did not specify when Hernandez made those comments. Hernandez played with the Patriots from 2010 through 2012, and Rapoport left the Patriots beat to take a job with NFL Media in March 2012.

Hernandez died in prison after a murder conviction

RELATED: The Tragic Death of Former Patriots Star and Convicted Murderer Aaron Hernandez

If Aaron Hernandez ever intended to harm Ian Rapoport, he never got the opportunity.

Massachusetts police arrested Hernandez on a murder charge in June 2013. Police alleged that he murdered Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who dated the sister of his fiancee, earlier that month.

A jury convicted him of first-degree murder and five weapons charges in April 2015. He received a life sentence and died by suicide in prison two years later.

Ian Rapoport is still alive and thriving at the NFL Network

Ian Rapoport Twitter Steelers

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Ian Rapoport Twitter Barstool

It is quickly approaching a decade since Ian Rapoport shared a locker room or press conference environment with Aaron Hernandez.

Rapoport, who turned 41 in January, is still going strong with NFL Media. As of publication, he had nearly 2.7 million Twitter followers and is a constant presence on all aspects of the network’s coverage.

Rapoport does television work, tweets out breaking news, and mostly avoids controversy. However, he served a two-week suspension in the fall of 2020 after promoting the Manscaped Lawn Mower, a male grooming device, on his Instagram account.

In a statement posted on his Twitter account, Rapoport explained that he’d been suspended because he promoted the item without receiving permission from his employer. There have been no further incidents between Rapoport and NFL Media since that suspension.

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