Jarrett Payton is set to be announced Monday as Mike Mulligan’s replacement on Chicago’s 104.3 The Score’s morning show, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which reports the station is planning a 3 p.m. announcement of the retooled show, still featuring David Haugh, launching Aug. 31.
The move follows The Score firing Mulligan, a 23-year veteran of the station and its morning co-host since 2008, on Friday. Midday co-host Marshall Harris was let go in the same round of cuts, leaving Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote to carry the midday show on their own going forward.
According to an announcement, the show will launch next Monday morning.
We’re thrilled to announce that Jarrett Payton will be our new co-host in the mornings!
The Haugh & Payton Show will launch next Monday and be on 5:30 to 10 a.m. every weekday morning.
Read: https://t.co/bVjMpvIirX pic.twitter.com/j7pwQv2aMU
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) August 24, 2026
Payton, 45, announced his own departure from WGN on July 30 after more than a decade at the station, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.
“After 10 meaningful years at WGN, I’ve made the decision to step away from the station. This choice comes from the heart. I want to spend more time with my family. They are the most important part of my world,” Payton wrote. “To our audience: Thank you for watching, for welcoming me into your lives, and for the incredible kindness you’ve shown over the years. Your support has touched my heart and reminded me that what we shared went far beyond sports. I’m deeply grateful for your trust, and I’ll carry it with me always.”
10 years.
Countless memories.
A whole lot of love.
Forever grateful.
✌️❤️🙏🏽
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) July 30, 2026
Jarrett Pauton, the son of NFL legend Walter Payton, was a running back himself in college for the Miami Hurricanes. After going undrafted in 2004, Payton had stints across the NFL, CFL, and Indoor Football League.
After hanging up his cleats, Payton turned to broadcasting, with Chicago an obvious home for his services. He began his run at WGN in 2015. During that time, Payton once acted out the city’s baseball highlights after a server error, and also went viral after producing some of the first video evidence of the relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift as they left Arrowhead Stadium together after a game against the Bears in 2023.
Payton will have eight days to prepare for the Aug. 31 debut alongside Haugh, who co-hosted with Mulligan for the previous eight years.
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.