01/17/26 05:07:00
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01/17 17:05 CST From sideline sprints to surprise interviews, ESPN's Laura
Rutledge enjoys a hectic football season
From sideline sprints to surprise interviews, ESPN's Laura Rutledge enjoys a
hectic football season
By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer
Laura Rutledge's schedule during football season has always been hectic.
The ESPN reporter has hosted "NFL Live," the network's year-round weekday news
show, since 2020, along with "SEC Nation" on Saturdays during college football
season.
Rutledge took on another assignment this season when she became a full-time
sideline reporter on "Monday Night Football." Rutledge had done some sideline
work during NFL games over the past couple of seasons, but the network decided
to have two reporters at every game in 2025.
With her seemingly effortless transition from host to reporter --- sometimes in
a matter of minutes --- and her fluency in both college football and the NFL,
the always enthusiastic Rutledge has become the face of football on ESPN.
On "Monday Night Football," Rutledge joined Lisa Salters, who has been
patrolling the sidelines since 2012.
"Lisa is amazing. She's been doing this for so long at such a high level and
I'm really thankful because I'm still learning in a lot of ways and I fully
know that," Rutledge told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I just
love her perspective on things and it's been such a gift and a privilege for me
to be able to spend the time with her."
Rutledge's typical schedule was hosting "NFL Live" on Mondays from the game
site and then doing sideline reports for the game. Then it was back to ESPN's
studios in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored "NFL Live" from Tuesday
through Thursday, before traveling on Friday and hosting "SEC Nation" on
Saturday.
Rutledge joined ESPN in 2014 and has been on "SEC Nation" since it started. She
also has had other roles in ESPN's college football coverage, including
sideline reporting for College Football Playoff games.
"Having Laura join Lisa Salters, whose professionalism and journalistic
expertise has long set the tone for our coverage, on ?Monday Night Football'
has really elevated the overall editorial feel of our broadcasts. Whether she's
reporting on?air or feeding key information to the truck or to Joe (Buck) and
Troy (Aikman), Laura's natural reporting instincts and storytelling ability are
spot?on. She brings an energy and passion that are contagious, and she
genuinely lifts everyone around her," said Mark Gross, ESPN's senior vice
president of production.
ESPN approached Rutledge during the spring about doing a full "Monday Night
Football" schedule. She understood she would be adding more responsibility and
not trading one job for another.
"I think when it comes down to what the schedule ended up being, it was more
than even I expected. I had sort of prepared myself for what I knew was going
to be crazy, but it was wild," Rutledge said this week as she prepared for
Sunday's divisional-round game between the Houston Texans and New England
Patriots. "It was sort of like this revolving-door cycle throughout each week,
but what an honor to be on these things. I mean, it's beyond even my wildest
dreams. I think for me that was what I've constantly reminded myself of when
things get a little hairy with the schedule."
Rutledge has also showed during college football and NFL coverage that she can
quickly adjust on the fly.
During the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day, ESPN's cameras caught Rutledge running
from one sideline --- where she was reporting for "SEC Nation" on SEC Network
--- across the field to anchor halftime coverage on ESPN.
The 45-second dash even got a full highlight narration from Chris Berman, who
whooped with delight as he watched Rutledge weaving her way through the
Mississippi band.
"I'll never get over it. It's one of the coolest things that's ever happened to
me in my life. He's been an incredible mentor to me, so it's something I'll
treasure forever," Rutledge said.
Rutledge can also give firsthand perspective on trying to get a postgame
interview immediately after a game when time is at a premium because of the 11
p.m. local news.
That happened after the Los Angeles Chargers' 22-19 overtime victory over the
Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 8, when Rutledge buttonholed Chargers quarterback
Justin Herbert immediately after the game and seemingly caught him off guard.
Rutledge got the interview --- even if Herbert was reticent at first --- after
the Eagles appeared to be driving for the winning score and Rutledge was on the
other side of the field.
"We had even less time than we normally would and I was still trying my best to
let Justin Herbert shake the hands that he wanted to and see the people that he
wanted to," Rutledge said. "From my perspective too, you never want the player
to be caught unawares. So we're trying to be sensitive to so much. And then yet
when a team has said, ?You're going to get this player,' that's what we have to
do.
"I don't fault anybody in that scenario. We were both trying to do our jobs and
he stood there and did the interview."
The situation was the opposite with Seahawks QB Sam Darnold after Seattle beat
the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 3. ESPN and ABC had extra time because the
Seahawks' 13-3 victory ended at 10:46 p.m. EDT.
Rutledge told Darnold he had time to find San Francisco's Brock Purdy and
exchange postgame pleasantries before coming back to do the interview. Some
observers speculated on social media that Darnold was trying to get out of
talking to Rutledge.
"I try to never say anything publicly about these things. but I'm not going to
have people trashing these guys. They deserve better than that," Rutledge said.
"He was asking me if we need to do the interview right then."
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