ESPN Names NFL Countdown Host Replacement Days After Firing Sam Ponder

The network is turning to a familiar face.

Sep 5, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; ESPN sideline reporter Sam Ponder during the first quarter between the Florida State Seminoles and Mississippi Rebels at Camping World Stadium. / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Days after dismissing network stalwart Sam Ponder, ESPN appears to have named her successor as the host of Sunday NFL Countdown.

Mike Greenberg will take over as the host of the four-decade-old program, according to a Tuesday morning report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, which was confirmed in a network release. Greenberg, 57, currently hosts the ESPN morning show Get Up and the radio show Greeny.

Per Marchand and the release, Greenberg's fellow Sunday NFL Countdown panelists will include former Pro Bowl linebacker Tedy Bruschi, Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, former coach Rex Ryan, insider Adam Schefter, and former Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith.

Greenberg joined ESPN in 1996, and has hosted Get Up since its 2018 debut.

As pointed out by Marchand, ESPN will produce the Super Bowl for the first time after the 2026 season.

"The network executives are designing its weekly sets for that big moment in the company’s history," the media reporter wrote.