When it comes to the comings and goings of The Athletic, most of The New York Times-owned outlet’s transactions have been the latter.
But on Tuesday, one veteran NFL reporter and columnist brought back memories of the late-2010s and early-2020s, with Mike Silver announcing that he’s joining The Athletic as a Senior NFL Writer.
Silver previously provided NFL coverage at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports and the NFL Network over the course of his career. He most recently spent the last two years at the San Francisco Chronicle, where he covered the 49ers as a columnist.
I’m elated to be joining @TheAthletic as a Senior NFL Writer. I enjoyed my two-plus years at the @sfchronicle and am psyched to get back to covering the league’s most compelling stories on a national level. I’m stoked to be part of an elite team. Let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/SvZ0xw5kzN
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) October 15, 2024
“Joining The Athletic feels right — in this moment, and as the culmination of an amazing journey,” Silver wrote in a column announcing his arrival. “I’ve experienced a lot of thrills and taken some lumps along the way, and I wouldn’t change any of it, because the mission has never been clearer.”
The addition of Silver comes amid a series of strategy shifts that have followed the Times‘ purchase of the online outlet in 2022. After initially being hyperlocal with dedicated beat writers covering virtually every team across every major league, The Athletic now appears to be prioritizing a more national approach with an emphasis news-breaking and column-writing.
To that end, Silver fills both roles, although he’s largely been more of the latter since leaving the NFL Network in 2021 (he did, however, have plenty of insight when it came to the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk saga this past offseason). It’s also worth noting that with Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini on the East Coast and Silver out West, The Athletic now has a bicoastal presence with two of its most visible NFL reporters.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.