ESPN has announced a new Monday studio lineup coinciding with the start of the 2023-24 football season that aims to give fans comprehensive coverage of players, personnel and teams within the National Football League. Following The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, ESPN will premiere Monday Blitz, a new studio program that blends NFL and college football news and discussion.
The fast-paced program will be hosted by SportsCenter studio anchor Michael Eaves, who has been with the network since 2015 and has previously hosted Wednesday editions of NBA Countdown. Joining Eaves on the Bristol set will be former Monday Night Countdown member and two-time Super Bowl champion Booger McFarland, along with senior NFL insider Adam Schefter and college football senior writer Pete Thamel. Moreover, former NFL player and coach Herm Edwards is a part of the show’s cast in addition to senior NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. Monday Blitz debuts on Monday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. EST/12 p.m. PST.
Following the debut of Monday Blitz is a new episode of NFL Live, which features host Laura Rutledge with analysts Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky and Mina Kimes. Kimes has reportedly inked a new contract with ESPN that will pay her about $1.7 million annually, and she will continue to host her hit podcast, The Mina Kimes Show, with Omaha Productions. Additionally, she is set to appear on The Dan Le Batard Show once per week with Meadowlark Media.
NFL Live will be live on-site from MetLife Stadium leading into the regularly-scheduled Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption. Then, all of the programming emanates from the NFL on ESPN, surrounding the prime-time matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.
Scott Van Pelt anchors the first regular season edition of Monday Night Countdown starting at 6 p.m. EST/3 p.m. PST. He will be joined by Clark, Spears and Schefter, along with analyst Robert Griffin III and features reporter Michelle Beisner-Buck. Van Pelt will be live from MetLife Stadium for his edition of SportsCenter upon the conclusion of the game, which will be called by Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters on Monday Night Football.
