As ESPN layoffs continue to loom large following The Walt Disney Company mandate to cut 7,000 jobs to slash $5.5 billion in operating costs, Rob Ninkovich will be one of the on-air talent not returning. ESPN will not renew Ninkovich’s contract after it expires this summer, according to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
Ninkovich joined ESPN in 2019 after playing 11 seasons in the NFL and capturing two Super Bowl championships with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Throughout his time with the network, he contributed his analysis and expertise to studio programming including NFL Live, First Take and SportsCenter, and he has also appeared on ESPN Radio.
Ninkovich is the latest casualty after the company parted ways with hockey analyst Chris Chelios and SportsCenter host Neil Everett – and more layoffs are reportedly expected in the coming weeks. The company reportedly axed the Keyshawn, JWill and Max morning radio show, but neither of the three mainstays have been laid off by the company.
Over the last several months, ESPN has laid off large swaths of its behind-the-scenes staff, including communications executive Mike Soltys, producer John Dahl and ESPN Radio program directors Ryan Hurley and Amanda Brown. Talent being laid off by ESPN who are in the midst of contracts will be paid the full value of their deals, but the benefit to the company is in being able to write their salary off the books. Those on expiring contracts will not be renewed, as is the case with Ninkovich, who could have plenty of suitors as football season approaches.
