• The Signing Continues Ascension for Former NFL First Round Pick, Extends Tenure with ESPN Beyond 10 Years
• Remains Prominently on NFL Live and Also Appearing on Get Up, First Take, and SportsCenter
• Monday Night Countdown to Broadcast from MetLife Stadium for Monday Night Football’s Bills-Jets Showdown in Week 1

ESPN has announced the re-signing of Marcus Spears, continuing the NFL analyst’s tenure with the company, which began in 2014. The former NFL first round pick is set to make his Monday Night Countdown debut in MetLife Stadium (September 11, 6 p.m. ET) ahead of Bills-Jets on Monday Night Football (8 p.m.), a new role which was previously announced as part of the show’s revamped commentator lineup. Earlier in the day, leading into Countdown, Spears will appear on NFL Live, a show on which he has regularly appeared since the 2020 NFL season and will remain on as part of the new agreement. Get Up, First Take, and SportsCenter also remain as frequent programming on which Spears will be seen and heard.

Spears Shifted to NFL Role Following Impactful Years at SEC Network
After an All-American and National Championship career at LSU and nearly a decade in the NFL, Spears transitioned into television. Spears was a key member of SEC Network’s launch and a regular on SEC Nation in the show’s formative years, traveling to SEC campuses each week as well as the co-host of Thinking Out Loud. In that role, he added to coverage of signature events, such as the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff Semifinals and National Championship.

In recent years, Spears transitioned into an NFL analyst and was part of NFL Live’s full revamp in August 2020. In the three seasons since the new-look NFL Live premiered, the 2023 Sports Emmy-nominated daily program has consistently achieved viewership successes and delivered viral moments, receiving critical acclaim from fans and media alike. Fellow analysts Ryan Clark, Mina Kimes, and Dan Orlovsky will continue to join Spears, with Laura Rutledge hosting and Adam Schefter providing the news.

The Spears Spotlight
Drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Spears played defensive end for nine NFL seasons, retiring in 2014.

At LSU, Spears played tight end, fullback and defensive end under Nick Saban from 2001-04. During his sophomore year he became a full-time defensive player, and his contributions to the team helped lead the Tigers to two SEC Championship titles (2001, 2003) and a win in the 2004 BCS National Championship.

Spears hails from Baton Rouge, La, where he was a highly sought-after two-sport high school athlete, recruited for both basketball and football. In April 2021, he was inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

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Media Contacts:
Derek Volner ([email protected])
Lily Blum ([email protected])