Report: Manti Te'o being 'considered' to replace Jason McCourty on 'Good Morning Football'

As NFL Network goes through multiple changes, the search is on to replace analyst Jason McCourty. As “Good Morning Football” heads to Los Angeles, he is leaving the network – and a Notre Dame icon is reportedly under consideration to fill his spot.

Manti Te’o is among the names being “considered” for the role, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported, along with former NFL player and “The Talk” co-host Akbar Gbajabiamila. Te’o does not have any full-time analyst experience, but was on the NBC halftime and postgame shows when Notre Dame took on Cal in 2022. That marked one of his first games back at his alma mater.

Te’o participated in an NFL Media Bootcamp, Marchand said, and he impressed executives during the event. Last summer, he confirmed his playing days were behind him after a brief professional career, and it could lead him to jump behind the microphone as an analyst.

“Good Morning Football” is preparing to move away from its New York studios, where NFL Network pays SNY rent, to settle into a new NFL-owned studio in Los Angeles. Host Jamie Erdahl confirmed she will be following the program to L.A., while Kyle Brandt will stay in New York in a new hybrid role, Marchand reported. McCourty’s future is still clear, and the next question is how Peter Schrager will fit in to the equation.

More on Manti Te’o’s Notre Dame, NFL careers

From 2010-12, Te’o was one of the most dominant players in college football and was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior. That season, he totaled seven interceptions to go with 113 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. His biggest numbers as a rusher, though, came as a junior in 2011 when he totaled 128 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks.

Off the field, Te’o became a national story after reports said his girlfriend Lennay Kekua passed away the same day as his grandmother. However, it was later revealed Kekua never existed and Te’o was the victim of a catfishing scandal, which became the subject of a Netflix “Untold” docuseries. There was a sense that impacted his NFL hopes, and he fell to the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft despite his decorated career.

The San Diego Chargers selected Te’o No. 38 overall that year, and he spent four years there. He then played three seasons with the New Orleans Saints and one more in 2020 with the Chicago Bears, and he announced the end of his football career last year.

All told, during his NFL career, Te’o totaled 307 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions with his three teams.