With just a few weeks before the start of the football season, ESPN made a pair of surprising moves when they fired Samantha Ponder and Robert Griffin III. Both were making seven figures annually, and ESPN opted to let them go given they were only filling one role at this point in their careers.
Ponder has been the host of Sunday NFL Countdown since 2017 — before that she had been a lead sideline reporter and host on ESPN’s college football coverage — but that was her only role with the network. Griffin III had been a rising star as both a game analyst on college football and in studio for NFL, but after being replaced by Jason Kelce on Monday NFL Countdown, he was considered too costly as just a game analyst for college football.
The biggest question following those two being let go was who would replace Ponder on Sunday NFL Countdown, with two names quickly being floated as possibilities. One was Laura Rutledge, who hosts NFL Live and SEC Nation, while also doing sideline work on ESPN’s NFL doubleheaders. The other was Mike Greenberg, the longtime personality who seemingly is on a quest to host every show ESPN has to offer.
ESPN has opted to go with Greenberg, who will move to the Sunday desk alongside Randy Moss, Tedy Bruschi, Rex Ryan, Alex Smith, and Adam Schefter, while still maintaining his Monday-Friday gig hosting Get Up!. Greeny is a pro and moving to a new show on short notice won’t be a particularly difficult endeavor for him, and he already has most of the Countdown crew as recurring guests on Get Up!, so there should be plenty of familiarity with the panel. Greenberg previously hosted ESPN’s NBA Countdown while also hosting Get Up!, but this seems to be a better fit, particularly for his schedule.