ESPN has made Laura Rutledge a permanent addition to its “Monday Night Football” broadcast team.
ESPN announced Tuesday that it has named Laura Rutledge a permanent “Monday Night Football” sideline reporter, expanding a role she has held occasionally since 2018. “MNF” will now have two sideline reporters for each game for the first time since 2010 — Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber — with the returning Lisa Salters having struck a contract extension.
If there was any doubt, the new role would seem to guarantee that Rutledge will be part of ESPN/ABC’s first Super Bowl broadcast in just under 18 months. When asked by Bryan Curtis of The Ringer whether he felt that ESPN has its Super Bowl team “in place,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said Monday: “Hard stop, yes. We feel great about it.”
The permanent “MNF” role will not affect her other responsibilities, which will continue to include “NFL Live” and the SEC Network road show “SEC Nation.” Rutledge, who joined ESPN in 2016, has become one of the highest-profile personalities at the company — though she was notably passed over for the “Sunday NFL Countdown” hosting role that opened up last year.
With Rutledge joining Salters, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the “A” team, ESPN also said that it will use Peter Schrager and Katie George as sideline reporters for its Monday night “B” team of Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick. Schrager, who is in his first year with ESPN, has previously roamed the sidelines for FOX and NFL Network.
For at least one more season, the “B” team will primarily handle the split “Monday Night Football” doubleheader games that ESPN/ABC is set to discontinue under its new NFL Media deal.
ESPN also officially announced Tuesday that Fox Sports veteran Artie Kempner will be the new lead director of Monday Night Football, news that was reported — and acknowledged on the record by ESPN executives — earlier this year. Kempner will be working with producer Steve Ackels.
