NFL analyst Damien Woody confirmed that ESPN did not renew his contract after 15 years, making him one of several on-air talents let go by the network. Woody, 48, a former two-time Super Bowl champion offensive lineman, had been a prominent voice on shows such as "Get Up," "First Take," and "SportsCenter."
Woody transitioned to television analysis in August 2011, shortly after retiring from a playing career that included stints with the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. He stated that he would continue his broadcast duties through the end of the current month.
He is not the only NFL analyst affected by the recent wave of layoffs at ESPN. Ryan Clark and Bart Scott were also released last month. Clark, who joined ESPN in 2015, reportedly discovered he was being laid off mid-show. He received a Sports Emmy in May 2023 for Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst for his work with the network.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro indicated in an internal memo that many of the layoffs were a result of redundancies following ESPN's acquisition of NFL Network in January. The financial terms of that deal were reported to be $3 billion.