ESPN names Mike Greenberg as host of ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’: Source

Mike Greenberg will be the new host of “Sunday NFL Countdown” as ESPN sets up its lineup for the first Super Bowl in 2027, a source briefed on the matter said The Athletics on Tuesday.

Greenberg replaces Sam Ponder, who was fired last week, with one year left and well over a million dollars left on her contract. Although she will be paid in full, ESPN has taken the step to straighten out its books as the fiscal year ends at the end of September.

However, the Ponder decision was also intended to promote Greenberg, a longtime favorite of ESPN executives. As host of the daily “Get Up” on TV and “Greeny” on radio, Greenberg is already ubiquitous on the network. Greenberg had a brief stint as the lead NBA broadcaster before handing those duties over to Malika Andrews last season. He also hosts the NFL Draft on ESPN, which is considered a prestigious assignment.

Greenberg, 57, gets the job through Laura Rutledge, a rising star at the network. Although on the rise, this is the second time in the past year that Rutledge, the host of the daily “NFL Live,” has lost out to a longtime ESPN anchor.

Just before last season, Scott Van Pelt was named host of Monday Night Football’s “NFL Countdown” about Rutledge. Van Pelt’s Monday schedule has also been revamped, as Jason Kelce replaced the recently fired Robert Griffin III. Kelce joins analysts Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark on Monday.

On Sunday, Greenberg’s main set includes Randy Moss, Tedy Bruschi, Rex Ryan and Alex Smith; as well as insider Adam Schefter.

ESPN and ABC will host the Super Bowl for the first time in 2027, and network executives are designing their weekly sets for that big moment in the company’s history.

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(Photo: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)