ESPN announced Tuesday one of its flagship shows, “NFL Live” will have a new cast when it relaunches in August.
The host of the year-round news and information show will be Laura Rutledge. She will be joined by a daily roster, as the release puts its, of analysts Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky, Keyshawn Johnson and Mina Kimes, who move into a new NFL analyst role.
NFL analyst Ryan Clark will join NFL Live on Fridays. In addition, ESPN NFL reporters, insiders and news-breakers Jeff Darlington, Dan Graziano, Kimberley A. Martin, Chris Mortensen, Louis Riddick, Dianna Russini, Adam Schefter, Field Yates and others will continue to contribute to the weekday show.
“The kickoff of the 2020 NFL season presents an exciting opportunity to reimagine NFL Live with a new commentator team that brings a wealth of football intelligence and a built in chemistry,” said Seth Markman, ESPN vice president, production. “Laura, Marcus, Dan, Mina and Keyshawn have all excelled in their respective roles across ESPN platforms – and have already worked closely together. The daily conversations they will have about the NFL is something we hope fans will really learn from and enjoy.”
Rutledge spoke highly of her teammates.
“Mina, Marcus, Dan and Keyshawn are all exceptionally talented and a whole lot of fun, and I can’t wait to work with them,” said Rutledge, who becomes just the third NFL Live host since the show debuted in 2003. “We are committed to bringing fans the best NFL coverage. This is a dream come true for me.”
In addition to Rutledge, NFL Live will now feature a consistent panel of analysts throughout the week.
Johnson has also been ticketed to be one of the hosts of a new morning show on ESPN Radio.
Some of the former members of the show’s lineup were Wendi Nix, Tedy Bruschi, Tim Hasselbeck, Darren Woodson, Jeff Saturday, and Damien Woody.