Who Is Rickey Scoops, Anonymous NFL Insider Breaking All The News?

The news that Kenneth Walker is signing with the Chiefs may come as a surprise to some football fans. Just last week, CBS Sports reported he would be out of Kansas City’s price range.

"The Chiefs may not be in the mix for a top-of-market player like Kenneth Walker III, but a player in that $8 million per year area could be one for them," insider Jonathan Jones said.

Yet the development was hardly a surprise to followers of the @RickeyScoops account on X. Shortly after the CBS report, Rickey posted that the Chiefs were the "frontrunners" to sign Walker with his signature #BarkBark hashtag. 

Who is this Rickey character? Let us try to explain.

For the past two to three years, a suspiciously accurate anonymous X account has surfaced periodically to scoop even the top NFL insiders. In August, Rickey reported that the Cowboys were likely to send Micah Parsons to the Packers, despite most reporters insisting Dallas would not trade him.

Originally operating under the name Pretty Ricky, the account frequently vanishes, returns, and then vanishes once again. The avatar has typically featured various photos of a dog.

People around the league have taken notice. On Friday, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic reported that individuals around the NFL are "trying to hunt down Rickey."

Rickey deactivated the account shortly thereafter. It is unclear whether the move was connected to the reported "hunt" or just part of the usual cycle.

Though not always accurate, Rickey has become something of an online folk hero. Last summer, USA Today compiled a list of moves Rickey was first to report, including the Cowboys trading for George Pickens, Amari Cooper’s return to the Raiders, George Karlaftis’ extension with the Chiefs, and the Jets’ extension for Sauce Gardner.

In conversations with people in and around NFL media, there is no consensus on who runs the account. There is, however, considerable interest and no shortage of theories.

We have heard speculation ranging from a staffer at a major talent agency, to a friend of an agent, to someone working in an NFL front office, to a child of an insider, to an employee with access to the transaction wire, and to someone hacking text messages between agents and teams.

Perhaps the answer is none of the above. No one we spoke to claimed certainty.

A connection to an agent or agency would make the most sense. The account’s appeal lies in reporting news before it's official. That said, we have not identified a consistent link to a specific agency. For example, Micah Parsons is represented by Athletes First. Kenneth Walker is a client of Aura Sports Group. WME Sports represents George Karlaftis.

Whoever is behind the account, or whoever is feeding it information, appears to have sources spread well across the NFL.

Admittedly, we are rooting for the theory that it is the child of Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, or Tom Pelissero.

In any event, it says something about the current media ecosystem that an anonymous account with a dog avatar is correcting reports from the lead insider on CBS’s NFL pregame show.

While we initially set out to uncover Rickey Scoops’ true identity, we have come to appreciate the secrecy. Those who know the answer might consider keeping it to themselves. The angst the account reportedly causes across the NFL is, in its own way, part of the entertainment.