With the 2025 Monday Night Football season approaching, ESPN is retooling its broadcast teams, extending the contract of veteran reporter Lisa Salters, promoting Laura Rutledge into a weekly sideline role, and adding Katie George and Peter Schrager to the mix. The moves will ensure two sideline reporters for all 25 NFL on ESPN games this season.
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Salters will return for their third season together in the Monday Night Football booth, with Rutledge joining them on the sideline for all 20 of their telecasts. George and Schrager will work alongside Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, and Louis Riddick on five games — the four weeks the schedule features multiple Monday night matchups and the Week 18 Saturday doubleheader.
Salters’ extension further cements her place as the longest-tenured sideline reporter in Monday Night Football history, entering her 14th season. Over 25 years at ESPN, she has been one of the company’s most visible journalists, with multiple Emmys for her work on E:60, SportsCenter, and the NBA Finals. In 2023, she earned the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Reporter.
Rutledge, a two-time Emmy winner herself, has become a familiar presence on the MNF sidelines in recent seasons. She has shared duties with Salters on more than a dozen high-profile games, including playoff broadcasts, while also working dual-game weeks with Fowler’s crew. This fall, Rutledge will maintain her roles as host of NFL Live and SEC Nation, adding a consistent primetime NFL presence to her resume.
In Week 2, George will make her NFL debut when the Chargers face the Raiders. Known for her work as a top college football sideline reporter for ESPN and ABC, George has been part of several College Football Playoff Semifinals and earned an Emmy in May for her contributions to SEC on ABC coverage. The former University of Louisville volleyball standout is also a regular on NBA telecasts and will continue her duties across football and basketball.
Schrager, who joined ESPN in March, brings prior NFL sideline experience from FOX and NFL Network. He will also maintain a heavy studio presence, appearing on Get Up, First Take, The Pat McAfee Show, NFL Live, and SportsCenter, particularly around major NFL calendar events like the Super Bowl, free agency, and the draft.
Behind the camera, Artie Kempner will make his Monday Night Football directing debut after three decades leading NFL productions at FOX. He will work with veteran ESPN producer Steve Ackels to oversee Buck, Aikman, Salters, and Rutledge’s broadcasts.
On ESPN Deportes, MJ Acosta-Ruiz returns for her second season on the sideline, joining longtime reporter John Sutcliffe, who last year celebrated his 300th MNF game. They will work alongside play-by-play voice Rebeca Landa and analyst Sebastian Martinez-Christensen for the network’s Spanish-language coverage.
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