Scott Van Pelt, Laura Rutledge leading candidates for Monday Night Countdown at ESPN

Two popular ESPN personalities are reportedly in the mix to host Monday Night Countdown for the upcoming NFL season. Scott Van Pelt and Laura Rutledge have emerged as leading candidates, according to The New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand.

ESPN needs a new host for its Monday Night Countdown program after parting ways with Suzy Kolber, who hosted the show since 2015. The network laid off a number of employees recently.

Van Pelt began his run at ESPN in 2001 and has hosted the midnight edition of SportsCenter since 2015. Over the course of his career, he’s become one of the most recognized and respected voices in the world of sports media.

Rutledge would bring a lot of NFL experience to the position. She has hosted ESPN’s afternoon show, NFL Live, since 2020.

Both would be strong candidates to fill the role.

In June, Kolber revealed that she was one of several ESPN employees to be laid off by the network. She worked for the company for nearly three decades.

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off,” Kolber tweeted.

“Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run. So grateful for a 38 yr career! Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of. Next step – a project that gives back.”

Scott Van Pelt hints at moving on from SportsCenter

The news that Van Pelt and Rutledge have emerged as top candidates to host Monday Night Countdown comes at an interesting time … at least for SVP. The longtime ESPN employee recently said he doesn’t want to host the midnight edition of SportsCenter forever.

“I’ve been doing this a long time where, look, I don’t want to do that forever,” Van Pelt told Sports Illustrated. “And that would lead to the natural, ‘What would you want to do?’ I don’t know. I don’t know.

“I still enjoy it.”

Van Pelt made it clear that he still enjoys many aspects of his job. However, after doing it for nearly a decade, there are certain parts he could live without.

“At some point, it’s Tuesday night and you’re following the White Sox and it’s like, that’s fun, too, but it’s just not the same level of juice as a night like this,” he said. “Or you’re following taped programming, it’s a 30 for 30, and here you come. Coming off a game, at least there’s a game.”