Andrew Marchand on this first:

ESPN will not stop until they’ve replaced every single individual on television with Stephen A Smith and Mike Greenberg. They will co-host all shows on the network.

This isn’t even a criticism of Mike Greenberg himself, because he’s fine. He’s the definition of status quo and will do a serviceable job. But no one is asking for more Mike Greenberg. We’re currently at an acceptable Greeny threshold and do not require more. That show was pretty good with Sam Ponder and the chemistry worked. If you’re gonna fire her, alright, whatever, but you’ve got other replacement choices at the network. Laura Rutledge, reportedly a finalist, would have been ideal. She knows football, has paid her dues, and is smoking hot. But noooo, someone at ESPN thought it would be better to give Greenberg another gig so we can listen to him fucking talk about Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. Too much AFC East on that show.

Anyway here’s the ESPN press release:

ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown will embark on its 40th season on Sunday, Sept. 8, beginning a more than five-month campaign that concludes on Super Bowl Sunday in New Orleans (February 9). The now three-hour pregame show debuted during the 1985 NFL season, originally named NFL GameDay, and has provided fans pregame news, analysis, and strategic breakdowns for each of the previous 39 seasons.

Host Mike Greenberg will join the returning analysts – Super Bowl Champions Tedy Bruschi and Rex Ryan, Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss, three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith. ESPN’s senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter will provide all the latest news and information, while Jeff Darlington, Dan Graziano, Kimberley A. Martin, Sal Paolantonio, and Lindsey Thiry will be the regular reporters at the week’s biggest games. Storytelling will remain prominent, with compelling features among the weekly highlights. Sports Betting analyst Erin Dolan also returns.

The show will continue to air 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET and originate from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn.

With the show’s season debut, Greenberg becomes the fourth host of the program and further builds his existing NFL portfolio, which includes ESPN’s NFL Draft. He has hosted the network’s Thursday and Friday night coverage since 2021.