The good news is that NFL Network’s Jane Slater is alive and well.
The bad news is that the veteran sideline reporter was forced to clarify that on Sunday after some heartless prankster ran a bogus report on social media. Slater discovered the fake news story on X, where an innocent follower shared a grab of the report claiming she’d been the victim of domestic abuse.
Although the exact culprit hasn’t been exposed, it appears to be someone with poor math skills. The screengrab lists Slater’s age as 40 but claims she lived from 1980 until 2025.
In any case, the 45-year-old Slater took the tasteless act in stride. Asked if she had passed away, Slater wrote: ‘I don’t think so? But does this mean there is glitch in the matrix? I’m gonna wrap myself in bubble wrap until NYE.’
She also addressed the age discrepancy in the bogus report: ‘Yeah math not mathing in it. Proof we slipped into a different timeline during Covid.’
Fans were naturally enthusiastic to see Slater was fine.
Slater showed a good sense of humor in the face of a rather disturbing fake online claim
Slater, a Texas native, is seen interviewing Houston receiver Nico Collins last season
‘Protect Jane at all costs!’ one wrote online. ‘National treasure type coverage.’
Slater joked she had ‘Lazarus energy’ on Sunday.
Some suspect the article originally linked to a true domestic violence story about the suspected murder-suicide of sports reporter Christina Chambers in Birmingham, Alabama. But aside from the photo of Slater, the details contained in Sunday’s fake post also differ from reports Chambers, who was found dead alongside her husband last week.
Slater is not the only NFL media figure to be mistakenly written off for dead this season. Long-time sideline reporter, announcer and former Buffalo Bills special teamer Steve Tasker had to issue a similar ‘proof of life’ post online last month.
‘I’m fine,’ he wrote on X in response to the fake news.
And as was the case with Slater, Tasker’s age was misreported in the bogus article.
‘It’s comical how is says age 62, but then has you born in 1986. I’m glad that you’re fine and alive, but people also need to pay attention to details like that; therefore realizing that this cannot be taken seriously,’ another furious fan wrote online.
Slater joked she had ‘Lazarus energy’ on Sunday after several fans remarked she’d ‘risen’
Tasker, 63, took to social media to refute the claim and tell Bills fans: ‘I’m fine’
Meanwhile, some fans noted that Tasker had appeared on The Sean McDermott Show earlier in the day, as part of their preview for their clash against the Steelers.
Tasker regularly appears on the show along with Bills head coach McDermott and provides a run down of the team’s preparations for their game that week.
In November, Tasker was named among nine semifinalists for election from the seniors category for a place in The Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tasker spent 12 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Bills and, during that time, became a five-time first-team All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection.