ESPN Unveils Massive 2026 NFL Coverage Lineup

ESPN is gearing up for its biggest NFL season yet, and the network is bringing a deep bench of familiar faces, Super Bowl champions and new voices along for the ride.

What’s Happening:

As ESPN prepares to enter its first Super Bowl season, the company has unveiled its Sunday and Monday NFL coverage plans for the 2026 season, leading into Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Feb. 14, 2027. The historic season will feature ESPN's largest NFL game portfolio to date, with 28 games plus the Super Bowl, alongside an extensive slate of studio programming across ESPN and NFL Network.
The 2026 season will once again see Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge at the center of Monday Night Football. The quartet will open the regular season on September 14 when the Denver Broncos visit the Kansas City Chiefs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.
For Buck and Aikman, the upcoming campaign marks their seventh Super Bowl season together and their 25th season as a broadcast duo. Their partnership continues to hold the distinction of being the longest-running booth pairing in NFL history. Salters is entering her 15th season on the Monday Night Football sidelines, while Rutledge returns for her second season covering the full Monday Night Football schedule.
Their season will ultimately culminate in Los Angeles, where ESPN and ABC will present Super Bowl LXI.
ESPN's NFL expansion this season also extends to NFL Network, which will introduce several new broadcast combinations. Super Bowl champion and ESPN NFL analyst Jason Kelce will make his regular booth analyst debut alongside veteran play-by-play commentator Dave Pasch and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
The trio will begin their seven-game NFL Network schedule with a pair of International Series games in London. They'll call the Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders on October 4 before returning the following week for the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars on October 11. They will also handle the NFL's first game in Paris, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints on October 25.
Bob Wischusen will team with longtime ESPN NFL and college football analyst Louis Riddick for three additional games, beginning with the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Houston Texans in London on October 18. The duo will then call the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons in Madrid on Nov. 8, followed by a Dec. 26 matchup that will be announced later.
Molly McGrath will make her NFL sideline debut and work alongside both broadcast teams throughout the season, while Peter Schrager will serve as a sideline reporter for one game of the Dec. 26 doubleheader.
The Manning brothers are also back for another season of Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning will return for their sixth season of the alternate presentation, which will begin in Week 1 and eventually include an alternate presentation of Super Bowl LXI.
Monday programming will be particularly packed across ESPN and NFL Network. Monday Night Countdown returns as ESPN's two-hour Monday Night Football pregame show from 6-8 p.m. ET, and for the first time, the program will also air on NFL Network.
Scott Van Pelt returns as host alongside returning analysts Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears. This season, they will be joined by new additions Pat McAfee and Jason McCourty, with Kurt Warner also appearing on-site for select segments throughout the season.
The group brings an impressive collection of NFL experience to the desk. Kelce, Spears, McCourty and McAfee combine for 43 NFL seasons, two Super Bowl championships, nine Pro Bowl selections and seven First-Team All-Pro honors.
McAfee's expanded ESPN presence adds another high-profile personality to the network's NFL coverage. In addition to Monday Night Countdown, he continues to host The Pat McAfee Show and contribute to College GameDay Built by The Home Depot. McCourty joins the program following his expanded role as an ESPN NFL analyst.
ESPN will spend more than 10 hours each Monday originating programming from the site of that night's Monday Night Football matchup. That includes The Pat McAfee Show from noon to 3 p.m. ET, followed by NFL Live from 3-5 p.m. and Monday Night Countdown from 6-8 p.m.
NFL Live will once again feature Laura Rutledge alongside Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky, Peter Schrager and Marcus Spears, with Adam Schefter contributing throughout the week. The program enters the 2026 season after winning its second consecutive Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio Show–Daily.
NFL Network's Good Morning Football will also hit the road for select Mondays, originating from the locations of Monday Night Football in Kansas City during Week 1, Chicago in Week 3 and Philadelphia in Week 7. Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt and Manti Te'o will lead the program, bringing news, analysis and personality from the cities hosting the week's marquee matchup.
Sunday coverage will be equally expansive, with ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and NFL Network's GameDay Morning combining for seven hours of pregame coverage ahead of the day's games.
Sunday NFL Countdown returns for its third consecutive season with Mike Greenberg hosting alongside Super Bowl champions Tedy Bruschi and Rex Ryan, Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss and three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith. Adam Schefter will provide breaking news, while Erin Dolan returns as the show's sports betting analyst.
The program, which debuted in 1985 as NFL GameDay, celebrates 30 years under the NFL Countdown name in 2026.
NFL Network's GameDay Morning enters its 19th season with Rich Eisen hosting alongside Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci and Gerald McCoy. Ian Rapoport will provide regular insider updates, with Daniel Jeremiah and Colleen Wolfe also contributing throughout the season.
Both Sunday programs will have reporters stationed around the league to provide updates from the biggest games. ESPN's team includes Jeff Darlington, Dan Graziano, Kimberley A. Martin, Sal Paolantonio and Lindsey Thiry, while NFL Network will feature Stacey Dales, Mike Garafolo, Jane Slater, Sara Walsh, Cam Wolfe and Steve Wyche.
Once games get underway, NFL Network will continue its Sunday coverage with GameDay LIVE, GameDay Highlights and GameDay Final. Patrick Claybon and Steve Smith Sr. will anchor the early afternoon window, followed by Rhett Lewis and Sam Acho in the later window. Chris Rose will lead the evening highlights alongside Michael Robinson and Maurice Jones-Drew, with David Carr also making appearances throughout the season.
ESPN's iconic NFL Primetime will also return, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1987. Chris Berman will once again host the Sunday highlight program, joined by Booger McFarland for a seventh consecutive season. NFL Primetime will stream every Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on the ESPN App and remain available on demand through Wednesday.

With an unprecedented 28 NFL games plus Super Bowl LXI, ESPN's 2026-27 NFL season represents a major expansion for the company. From the return of Buck and Aikman on Monday Night Football to Jason Kelce's expanded role, the Manning brothers' alternate broadcast and extensive coverage across NFL Network, fans will have no shortage of ways to follow the league throughout the season.
And with Super Bowl LXI ultimately heading to Los Angeles, ESPN's first Super Bowl season will build toward one of the biggest nights on the NFL calendar.

More ESPN News:

What We're Covering

Fun & Games

ESPN Unveils Massive 2026 NFL Coverage Lineup Ahead of First Super Bowl Season

Thank You!