Many NFL fans seeking free agency updates from X (formerly Twitter) were forced to look elsewhere Monday morning as more than 90,000 users reported access issues. The site interruptions came just before the NFL’s negotiation period, also known as the legal tampering window, began at noon ET and returned at several intervals.
By about 2:30 ET, X service had widely resumed full function.
During the outage, Meta-owned Threads was bombarded with new and returning users. “I don’t think I’ve opened this app in a couple years, but here we are,” posted Sports Illustrated senior NFL reporter Albert Breer.
At 11:33 a.m. ET, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport broke the news on Threads that Arizona guard Evan Brown would be returning to the Cardinals on a new deal.
Others turned to rival platform Bluesky. “Legal tampering appears to have shut down X,” Seahawks beat reporter Corbin Smith posted there. “Get your NFL news here!”
Amid the fracturing social media landscape, organizations including ESPN have also built features into their own apps and websites allowing fans to keep up with the news. Push notifications for those following Adam Schefter in the ESPN app kept fans informed of additional signings.
There is of course the old-fashioned way as well.
“The only way to get this kind of information is right here on NFL Network,” Rapoport said on air. “Forget about Twitter. Just watch TV.”
According to Downdetector, users reported issues in four different time spans Monday, first around 6 a.m. ET and later in the 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. windows. Microsoft services and Reddit also saw increased outage reports.
X executive chairman Elon Musk said in a social media post that a cyberattack from an unknown source was responsible for the persistent problems. He acquired Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and reportedly laid off 80% of the staff thereafter, leading to concerns about site performance. Massive outages have been reported a few times since, most recently in August 2024.
In the years following Musk’s acquisition, some teams and leagues have begun posting on alternative platforms, though X has largely remained the go-to destination for live sports and updates.
(This story has been updated with a quotes from Rapoport and Musk, and throughout with new details about the outage’s resolution.)
