The changes are continuing for ESPN’s primary NFL studio shows.
According to Jason McIntyre of TheBigLead.com, Mike Ditka is out and Matthew Hasselbeck is in at Sunday NFL Countdown. Hasselbeck joins the recently-retired Charles Woodson at the big desk. Woodson replaces Keyshawn Johnson.
Hasselbeck had said he wanted to play another season, but the Colts released him and, apparently, no other viable offers to play emerged. Or perhaps he decided to slide into a choice seat while the choice seat was available.
McIntyre reports that Ditka isn’t leaving ESPN. Instead, he’ll have an “emeritus-type NFL role” at ESPN.
More changes are expected as soon as next year; there’s persistent chatter in industry circles that Chris Berman and Tom Jackson could be gone after 2016.