Two candidates have emerged as potential replacements for Sam Ponder on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ following her surprising release from ESPN.
The Worldwide Leader in Sports made two significant moves on Thursday, firing both Ponder and Robert Griffin III.
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, the popular ESPN personalities were terminated as part of “budget moves,” with the company nearing the end of its fiscal year. Ponder, who had been hosting ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ since 2017, still had a year left on her deal.
She enjoyed a privilege typically reserved for the likes of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Peyton Manning as she did the show and was off for the rest of the year.
‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ is scheduled to return to the air soon as football season is only weeks away, which is why ESPN’s decision came as a shocker. The company will have to find a replacement soon.
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Who’s Going To Fill Sam Ponder’s Vacated Role At ESPN?
According to Marchand, Mike Greenberg and Laura Rutledge are the leading candidates. Greenberg has been a staple on ‘Get Up’ and has hosted SportsCenter, as well as a radio show with Mike Golic. He has also taken care of ‘NBA Countdown.’
Rutledge has hosted ‘NFL Live’ for the past four years and previously worked on ‘SEC Nation.’ She has been with ESPN for a decade.
Whoever the network sticks in the role remains to be seen. The 2024 NFL season will kick off on September 5, leaving them with a bit of time.
Of course, it’s highly probable that ESPN had someone lined up before pulling the plug on Sam Ponder. It’s likely to be someone from within.
