Within days of parting ways with Cam Newton and Ryan Clark, it seems ESPN was already ready to fill the two broadcasters’ roles. To fill the gaps, they have started replacing on-air voices with personalities already in the network ecosystem.

According to Front Office Sports, ESPN has moved to expand the presence of two familiar voices in Steve Smith Sr. and Kyle Brandt to replace Newton and Clark.

Steve Smith Sr., the former Carolina Panthers star, is expected to take on a larger recurring role across ESPN’s NFL programming as the network integrates NFL Network assets following a major round of layoffs.

Smith, the former Panthers and Ravens receiver, brings a long NFL career and a reputation for blunt analysis. His 14,731 receiving yards and 81 touchdowns made him one of the league’s most prolific wideouts, and since joining NFL Network in 2016, he has become a recognizable voice with a confrontational style that fits debate-heavy formats like First Take and NFL Live.

His NFL Network show with James Palmer became an immediate hit by blending wide receiver expertise with sharp commentary. Now, ESPN sees him as a natural fit to fill the void left by Cam Newton, offering the credibility of a former NFL star with the directness that debate programming thrives on.

Meanwhile, Kyle Brandt is also expected to become a more regular presence on ESPN. Brandt built his profile on Good Morning Football, where he mixed analysis with entertainment. Unlike Smith, Brandt never played in the NFL, but his television presence and creative approach have made him a recognizable personality. ESPN has already integrated former NFL Network talent into its programming, with Brandt among the first to appear regularly.

“Thank you to my friends at The NFL Today on CBS,” Kyle Brandt wrote on his X account announcing his transition. “We say goodbye after 5 years of One Shot / Many Takes. It’s very challenging to do something original on a pregame show, and the creative freedom + production value you gave me was staggering.”

Ryan Clark opens up about his firing

Clark’s departure remains controversial. He revealed on his Pivot Podcast that he was informed during an episode of NFL Live, calling the move a firing disguised as a layoff.

“I wasn’t laid off. I was fired,” Clark said about his firing on his Pivot Podcast. “They’re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended to do. But there was no cause for it. So because there was no cause for it, you couldn’t just fire me. So you had to wait for the layoff so you could camouflage it and veil it.”

ESPN, however, framed the decision as part of broader restructuring tied to the NFL Network merger.

Clark spent over a decade at ESPN after retiring from the NFL, and his exit underscores the scale of change right through the network.