Two prominent NFL insiders broke away from the holiday spirit and engaged in a heated back-and-forth on Christmas Day.

It all started when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Pete Carroll was interested in returning to NFL coaching, specifically replacing Matt Eberflus at the Chicago Bears. That paved the way for Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio to claim an ulterior motive for Schefter’s report.

“ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports that Carroll wants to be back,” Florio wrote. “That means, frankly, that Carroll’s agent specifically told Schefter this in the hopes that Schefter would put it out into the world in hopes of generating public opinion. Then Carroll’s agent Schefter will have a lot to thank. And that’s how the sausage is made.”

Schefter, who uses his X account almost exclusively for business purposes, did not take Florio’s swipe silently.

“Everything you say here is 100 percent false,” Schefter posted. “Keep it up and wish you a Merry Christmas.”

As for the initial report, only time will tell if Carroll returns to the NFL next season. But it’s hard to imagine the Bears wanting Caleb Williams and Co. to be coached by someone who will be 74 at the start of the 2025 season.