ESPN adds second sideline reporter to 'MNF' teams
The network said Tuesday that longtime NFL studio host and reporter Laura Rutledge will join Lisa Salters on the sidelines for all 20 games that feature Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the booth.
ESPN also announced a contract extension for Salters, who has been with ESPN and ABC since 2000 and will enter her 14th season on the "Monday Night Football" broadcast. Rutledge signed an extension earlier this year, and she will continue to host "NFL Live" and the Saturday morning show, "SEC Nation."
The second ESPN crew also is gaining a pair of permanent sideline reporters -- Peter Schrager, previously a sideline reporter with Fox and NFL Network, and Katie George, who has been a top ESPN and ABC college football sideline reporter. They are joining the team of Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick on weeks when there are two Monday night games.
ESPN is beginning to put all of its pieces in place as it prepares to host its first Super Bowl -- Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027.
The "Monday Night Football" season kicks off Sept. 8 when the Minnesota Vikings meet the Bears in Chicago, with the Buck-Aikman crew on the call.
Both broadcast teams will be in action on Sept. 15, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans play the early game, followed by the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shedeur Sanders suffers shock injury as he battles to win Cleveland Browns quarterback role
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders reportedly suffered an oblique injury during Wednesday's practice and was held out for the rest of the day. Sanders is competing for a roster spot in a crowded quarterback competition with the Browns, with any setback costing the fifth-round draft pick important time in front of the coaching staff. Sanders looked to have an inside track to one of the valued spots on Cleveland's 53-man roster after starting the team's first preseason game, throwing for two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Colorado alumnus was previously dealing with an arm injury but appeared in full health before Wednesday's setback, which occurred early in practice, per ESPN. Sanders is competing for a roster spot alongside Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, fellow rookie Dillion Gabriel, and Tyler Huntley. The team is likely to only keep three quarterbacks on its active roster, with Flacco nearly guaranteed one of those spots.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Venus Williams, 45, will be oldest US Open singles entrant in 44 years
Venus Williams will make her return to Grand Slam singles at the US Open after a two-year absence, having received a wildcard invitation Wednesday to compete at Flushing Meadows at age 45. Williams will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there at 47 in 1981, according to the International Tennis Federation. The seven-time major singles champion – including US Open titles in 2000 and 2001 – already had been given a wildcard for next week's mixed doubles competition in New York. Singles matches begin 24 August. Williams last played in a Grand Slam event at the 2023 US Open, losing in the first round. She has not won a singles match there since 2019. Her return to the tour came last month at the DC Open, her first match anywhere in 16 months. Asked then if it would be a one-off appearance, Williams replied: 'I'm just here for now, and who knows? Maybe there's more. … I definitely feel I'll play well. I'm still the same player. I'm a big hitter. This is my brand.' The comeback follows surgery last year to remove uterine fibroids, which sidelined her for most of the season. In Washington, she became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 2004. She also drew headlines for announcing her engagement to an Italian actor and joking that she needed to get back on court for the health insurance. Williams, who has also won 14 women's doubles titles with her sister Serena and two in mixed doubles, entered the Cincinnati Open via a wild card last week but lost in the first round of singles. In New York, she will play mixed doubles with American Reilly Opelka. Other women's singles wild cards went to Americans Clervie Ngounoue, Julieta Pareja, Caty McNally, Valerie Glozman and Alyssa Ahn; France's Caroline Garcia, who will retire after the tournament; and Australia's Talia Gibson. Men's wild cards went to Americans Brandon Holt, Nishesh Basavareddy, Tristan Boyer, Emilio Nava, Stefan Dostanic and Darwin Blanch; France's Valentin Royer; and Australia's Tristan Schoolkate.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Pohlad family adding partners, won't sell Twins
August 13 - By Field Level Media The Pohlad family, owners of the Minnesota Twins, have decided not to sell the American League franchise but instead will add partners. Joe Pohlad, the team's executive chair, issued a statement on the topic Wednesday. "For more than four decades, our family has had the privilege of owning the Minnesota Twins. This franchise has become part of our family story, as it has for our employees, our players, this community, and Twins fans everywhere. "Over the past several months, we explored a wide range of potential investment and ownership opportunities. Our focus throughout has been on what's best for the long-term future of the Twins. We have been fully open to all possibilities. "After a detailed and robust process, our family will remain the principal owner of the Minnesota Twins. To strengthen the club in a rapidly evolving sports landscape -- one that demands strong partnerships, fresh ideas, and long-term vision -- we are in the process of adding two significant limited partnership groups, each of whom will bring a wealth of experience and share our family values." Family patriarch Carl Pohlad bought the Twins in 1984 for $44 million from Calvin Griffith. Joe Pohlad is the grandson of Carl, who died in 2009. Major League Baseball must approve any potential additions or changes to the ownership group. The team statement said once that process is done, the Pohlads and the team will have more to say about additional partners. After the franchise traded 11 players before the July 31 deadline, fans had started to question the team's future. Pohlad tried to calm fears in the statement. "We see and hear the passion from our partners, the community, and Twins fans. That passion inspires us," he said. "This ownership group is committed to building a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for." The Twins are 56-63 on the season, 12 games out of the lead in the AL Central and 7.5 games out of the final AL wild card. Under the Pohlad's ownership, the Twins won the World Series im 1987 and 1991 and qualified for the postseason 10 additional times, never advancing to another World Series.
