Charles Woodson has confirmed that he will not return to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown next season. Andrew Marchand of The New York Post was the first to report the story, and wonders if it might be the first of many changes coming for the show.
There is no news about host Sam Ponder or analysts Randy Moss, Matt Hasselback, and Rex Ryan. Ryan was mentioned as a potential candidate for the Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator job, but that did not come to fruition.
Marchand says that Sunday NFL Countdown is facing a common problem in television: how do you stand out in a crowded field? The internet makes most news old news by the time it airs on the show, plus with the NFL Network and even ESPN itself giving viewers a constant stream of NFL news, there is nothing in particular that makes Sunday NFL Countdown special.
It was reported last year that ESPN would like to increase former Sunday NFL Countdown host Chris Berman’s role with the company. Marchand says there have been no discussions of him returning to the program on a full time basis.
As for Charles Woodson, he has a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl ring. He will likely be a member of both the college and pro football Halls of Fame. He has not indicated any future plans for his broadcast career.
