Rob Ninkovich is leaving ESPN, sources tell Front Office Sports.
The NFL analyst’s contract won’t be renewed after it expires this summer, said sources. ESPN declined to comment.
The two-time Super Bowl winner with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots joined ESPN in 2019. Since then, the 11-year NFL veteran and former Pats co-captain has been featured on studio shows such as “NFL Live,” “Get Up” and “SportsCenter.”
The 39-year-old Ninkovich is the latest big talent name to part ways with ESPN as the Worldwide Leader in Sports slashes talent payrolls.
Front Office Sports broke the news that popular “SportsCenter” anchor Neil Everett’s contract wasn’t renewed after 23 years. NHL analyst Chris Chelios met the same fate.
Previously, ESPN completed its fifth wave of layoffs in the past decade, losing off-camera executives such as beloved 43-year communications guru Mike Soltys, ESPN+ boss Russell Wolff, and John Dahl, an Emmy Award-winning producer on the Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance.”
With Pat McAfee shifting his eponymous YouTube show to ESPN this fall, Max Kellerman’s weekday afternoon show “This Just In” is likely to get the axe.
Under this new weekday TV lineup, “Get Up” would continue to air between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, Stephen A. Smith’s “First Take” would follow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and McAfee’s show would start at 12 p.m. ET.
As ESPN completes its cost-cutting “talent exercise,” the network is taking dual approaches. Some contracts for on-air TV/radio talents like Ninkovich, the former Pats linebacker, simply won’t be renewed. Others will have their guaranteed contracts bought out. They will still be paid in full — but ESPN will be able to write their salaries off the books.
More must-reads: