Back in May, Disney executives told Deadline they were building a “culture of efficiency” after parting ways with more than a thousand employees. Many wondered if this blueprint would apply to the NFL-ESPN merger, and it did. Per reports, more than 30 employees lost their jobs at ESPN this Spring, and more were soon to follow. But for all those worrying about missing their favorite personalities on TV, NFL insider Mike Garafolo has received some good news.

“ESPN is closing in on keeping longtime NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo on a new contract,” Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reports. “ESPN acquired NFL Network earlier this year in a deal that gave the league a 10% stake in ESPN. Garafolo’s new contract has not been finalized, one source said, and an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment.”

Following the merger, all of NFL Network’s existing contracts were absorbed by ESPN. But once those contracts expire, nothing is guaranteed, as new deals will be negotiated. That uncertainty has followed every entity in their contract year, but now, Garafolo may not have to worry about his future if the deal gets finalized.

Fellow NFL insider Ian Rapoport landed his multi-year contract back in April. Tom Pelissero was already under a multi-year contract he signed in 2020 with the NFL Network. If Garafolo lands his deal soon, that locks in the three faces of The Insiders long-term.

Now, Garafolo has spent over a decade at NFL Network, broken stories on everything football, and built enough credibility to sit alongside Rapoport and Adam Schefter when the big news drops. He’s also been a regular on Good Morning Football, and that mix – insider access with on-camera comfort – is exactly what ESPN is now “closing in” on.

Moreover, ESPN has already created an all-star cast this year. Jeremy Fowler, Field Yates, Dan Graziano, and Jeff Darlington were already locked in. Now add Rapoport, Pelissero, and likely Garafolo to the top tier. Peter Schrager’s reportedly in line for a bigger role, and Kimberley Martin, Sal Paolantonio, and Courtney Cronin round out the field and studio entities. Add the ‘NFL Nation’ beat writers covering all franchises, and that’s a lot of salaries for one sport, even if that sport is the NFL.

NBC Sports’ Mike Florio has already sounded the alarm following Glasspiegel’s report. Florio notes, “a decision to keep Garafolo could result in a decision, down the line, to part ways with someone else.”

ESPN & Disney can’t carry every NFL Network forever. Some names won’t fit, but Mike Garafolo isn’t one of them. He’s been around long enough to know how the business works; the question now is whether ESPN thinks Garafolo can still handle that business.