The day before the start of the 2023 NFL season has been a day of announcements for ESPN.
While the network hasn’t officially reported the news, Andrew Marchand of The New York Post reported Wednesday that Mina Kimes has signed a giant new deal with ESPN. The network also announced the launch of Monday Blitz, a weekly studio show covering both college football and the NFL, and it will feature several prominent names, as Michael Eaves will host the new show, with Booger McFarland and Herm Edwards as analysts.
Additionally, ESPN announced Wednesday afternoon that Lindsey Thiry has been elevated to National NFL reporter, seemingly replacing Dianna Russini, who departed the network after eight years to become The Athletic’s top NFL insider.
Last month, the Post reported that Russini’s departure was expected to lead to more opportunities for Thiry, Kimberly Martin and Jeff Darlington. Thiry was expected to become a full-time NFL TV reporter for ESPN, while Martin and Darlington could see an increase in their air time. That bore fruit as Thiry’s new role will see her covering game and other league events, as well as conducting interviews and contributing to feature storytelling.
In addition to Thiry’s ascension, ESPN also announced a new multi-year agreement with Jeremy Fowler, who will continue in his role as an NFL insider.
Both Thiry and Fowler will appear regularly on ESPN studio shows with Thiry being a mainstay on Sunday NFL Countdown and Fowler on SportsCenter.
[ESPN]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.