ESPN is in need of a new host for Monday NFL Countdown after the network recently parted ways with host Suzy Kolber after 27 years. She hosted the show from 2015 until last year.
The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reported Monday that ESPN is considering Scott Van Pelt and Laura Rutledge as top candidates to replace Kolber.
Van Pelt has been with ESPN since 2001 and is widely known now for hosting the midnight edition of SportsCenter since 2015.
The report comes after Van Pelt recently told Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina that he doesn’t see himself working on SportsCenter much longer and is considering trying a new role.
Rutledge has been hosting ESPN’s NFL Live afternoon studio show since 2020. She also has worked as a sideline reporter for a handful of NFL games in recent seasons. Rutledge is one of the network’s most notable figures in the NFL space.
Marchand noted that it could be difficult for either Van Pelt or Rutledge to take on the Monday NFL Countdown role, as the host has to be on site each week, and the network might still want them hosting their current shows.
