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Saturday, February 21, 2026
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NFL Network’s Peter Schrager in Serious Talks With ESPN

A source said the NFL insider would contribute across ESPN’s daily studio lineup, including NFL Live and Stephen A. Smith’s First Take.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN is in serious talks with Peter Schrager, Front Office Sports has learned.

A source said the NFL insider would contribute across ESPN’s daily studio lineup, including NFL Live, Stephen A. Smith’s First Take, and Mike Greenberg’s Get Up.

Schrager would also be a key contributor during ESPN’s tentpole NFL events, including the NFL Draft and Super Bowl week. If the deal is done in time, it’s possible Schrager could even work on ABC and ESPN’s upcoming coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Multiple sources said the contract between Schrager and ESPN is not finalized. But it’s likely Schrager is leaving his long-time perch as co-host of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football as well as Sunday pre-game appearances on Fox to lengthen ESPN’s NFL talent roster. It’s still to be determined whether Schrager brings his podcast along with him to ESPN.

ESPN has been on a hiring spree as it prepares for its first two Super Bowls in 2027 and 2031.

Burke Magnus, ESPN’s chief content officer, recently hired director Artie Kempner away from Fox Sports to serve as the new director of Monday Night Football. The Emmy Award–winning director, who previously directed two Super Bowls with MNF‘s Troy Aikman and Joe Buck while at Fox, will be in the director’s chair for ESPN’s telecast of Super Bowl LXI in parent company Disney’s backyard of Los Angeles.

ESPN is also fighting to retain its 45-year-long coverage of the Draft. The NFL is currently fielding bids for media rights to its marquee offseason event, starting in 2026. ESPN/ABC, Fox Sports, and Google/YouTube TV are competing with ESPN for the rights. Netflix turned down a chance to bid, although the streaming giant could still change its mind.

ESPN declined to comment.

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