ESPN has locked down once of its brightest talents for the foreseeable future.
Over the past decade, Laura Rutledge has become one of the network’s top show hosts and on-field reporters.
The 36-year-old is an 11-year veteran of ESPN, who contributes to the network’s annual coverage of the NFL Draft and to studio shows such as Get Up and First Take.
While many on-air talents are being laid off, ESPN has retained the services of Rutledge with a multi-year extension.
On Wednesday, ESPN announced that Rutledge is re-signing with the network. She’s expected to continue to host NFL Live and SEC Nation, while picking up more marquee NFL and college football sideline reporter assignments, including post-season games.
ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus said that the network is “fortunate to have her.”
“Laura is a consummate professional and wonderful teammate,” Magnus said. “Her versatility allows us to utilize her in multiple roles, across numerous sports, throughout the year. We are fortunate to have her.”
Rutledge thanked ESPN for giving her the opportunity, making it clear she sees many of her colleagues as family members.
“ESPN has provided me the support and freedom to build my dream career since I arrived eager to learn and grow. I appreciate its continued faith in me and hope they recognize the gratitude and pride I have working for the company. On a personal level, so many colleagues have become mentors and dear friends during my 10 years and I have relationships with them that will always be special, including my NFL Live team who I consider family.”
Many of her colleagues reacted to the news, including ESPN First Take regular Dan Orlovsky.
“Beyond thrilled for Rutty. ESPN got better today with this. Good for her and so well deserved and I don’t say this lightly: In my opinion she’s the very best on the planet at her craft,” Orlovsky wrote.
“Pretty much the easiest decision ESPN has ever made!! Congrats (Laura Rutledge),” wrote fellow First Take guest Ryan Clark.
“So so incredibly happy for @LauraRutledge ! One of the best people I’ve ever worked with and someone who has had a huge impact on my career. Wouldn’t be here without her words of wisdom, guidance and support and so glad we’re teammates for even longer,” ESPN producer Ashley Colley wrote.
“The absolute best. No one works harder or is more deserving than @LauraRutledge!” wrote Field Yates.
Rutledge began working at ESPN and the SEC Network back in 2014 after several years at Fox Sports.
In 2017 she was named the host of SEC Nation and in 2020 she became the host of NFL Live.
During Super Bowl week in New Orleans, she spoke to Front Office Sports about how she balances her heavy workload with family life that includes two young children.
“What I’ve found with little kids especially is that even just sitting and playing with them for 30 minutes is valuable time to them – and it’s valuable time to me,” Rutledge said.
“I think I get more out of it even than they do. I try to find time to sit my daughter down and say, ‘Look at me, let me tell you how proud of you I am, let me tell you how amazing you are’, so that those are the things that are circling in her mind when I’m not there.
“My son is 19 months old so he doesn’t understand a lot of the time. He’s very attached to me, so that’s been really hard. Even coming here [to New Orleans], I’ve guilted myself about it – I couldn’t do an emotional goodbye with him, so I had to sneak out of the house.”