Grantland alum Bill Barnwell signs new multi-year extension to stay at ESPN

When ESPN shuttered Grantland back in 2015, only a few talents stayed with the network through their existing contracts. The most prominent of which was Bill Barnwell, who was a member of the Bill Simmons-backed site’s staff during its four-plus year run. Barnwell signed an extension with ESPN in 2016 that his role expanded beyond his NFL column for ESPN.com to also include The Bill Barnwell Show podcast and various appearances across ESPN’s audio, radio, and TV platforms.

ESPN must be pleased with Barnwell since then as they’ve re-signed him to a new multi-year extension.

According to the release, Barnwell will continue to write his column for ESPN.com, host his podcast, and appear across their sites and radio stations. He will also “expand his role in ESPN’s growing collection of digital shows and be a guest on SportsCenter, Daily Wager, and more.” While his focus will remain the NFL, Barnwell will “venture into other realms on occasions, including soccer, baseball, basketball and hockey analysis.”

https://twitter.com/billbarnwell/status/1113542723682930688

“ESPN has been a wonderful place to work, and I’m excited to continue my career here,” said Barnwell in the release. “I’m blessed to write alongside very talented colleagues and for a brilliant editorial staff which tolerates exhaustingly long columns about football twice a week.”

Barnwell has been busy lately creating big features for ESPN, including ones on the Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham trades. As his role expands with the ESPN family of networks and stations, it sounds like we can expect plenty more of that ahead.

[ESPN]