ESPN reveals revamped 'Monday Night Countdown' crew

Van Pelt, Clark and Spears are replacing Suzy Kolber, Steve Young and Booger McFarland. Kolber, an institution of NFL coverage for ESPN, was laid off in June along with Young, the Hall of Fame former quarterback. 

McFarland, a two-time Super Bowl champion defensive tackle, had an oft-criticized tenure on "Monday Night Football" in the 2018 and 2019 seasons and was moved to studio and pregame work in 2020. No other details have been released about his future at ESPN.

The new "Countdown" comes one year after ESPN brought in Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to revitalize "Monday Night Football" after years of unsuccessful lineup changes in the play-by-play booth. The former Fox Sports "A team" — and a better slate of Monday night games — gave the broadcast a long-desired prominence unseen since ESPN added "MNF" from ABC back in the 2000s.

That said, "Countdown" had been a revolving door for some time, with multiple former players coming and going as analysts. Kolber's departure, however, was a stunner because of how long she had been involved with both ESPN and the game of football. Her dismissal only added more spotlight on the show coming into the 2023 season after the success of the improved "MNF" booth in 2022.

The "Countdown" lineup comes after ESPN announced changes to its NBA coverage, with Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Doc Rivers forming its new A team for play-by-play and a new lineup for "NBA Countdown."