It truly goes without saying that Damien Woody was one of ESPN’s most dependable football voices for 15 years. The former Patriots, Lions and Jets lineman brought his playing experience to everything from detailed film breakdowns on NFL Live to the day’s biggest arguments on Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter, building a second career that was as wide-ranging as it was durable. That chapter ended last week when ESPN chose not to renew his contract. So, what comes next for Woody?
“You don’t have to succumb to ‘we’re gonna talk about the Cowboys every show,’ or this or that,” Woody said on The Trey Wingo Show. “You’ll have some freedom to do or say the things that you really want to say”
That comment came in direct response to something host Trey Wingo said moments earlier, as he has been through a similar transition. Wingo went through his own ESPN departure in 2020 and has since taken a different route in football media.
“The best part is the freedom to be your own boss. It’s quite liberating, actually,” Wingo said.
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand was the first to report that ESPN would not renew Woody’s deal. Woody is expected to remain with the network until the end of August, when the contract expires. He was a long-standing veteran of the network and is looking back at his time positively.
Damien Woody’s departure comes during a broader restructuring of ESPN’s football operation. NFL Network employees officially moved under ESPN on April 1, following Disney’s acquisition of NFL Network and other NFL media assets. With NFL Network folded into ESPN, the company began reviewing its combined staff, resources and organisational structure.
That process led to job cuts in July, with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro telling employees that “most of the job impacts” were tied to the acquisition, though some roles elsewhere in the company were also affected.
On the other hand, Woody’s exit followed a different path. ESPN informed him weeks before the news became public that it would not renew his deal. The two sides discussed a possible extension but did not reach an agreement before his contract’s scheduled expiration at the end of August. He was not removed from the air during the July layoffs and will remain on ESPN programming through the end of the month.
“Being at ESPN for 15 years, it’s been an absolute joy,” he told Marchand, who reported that Woody will be open to other jobs. “At the end of the day, I just want to talk ball.”
Damien Woody joined ESPN in 2011 shortly after retiring from the NFL and became a regular on shows including Get Up, First Take, NFL Live, and SportsCenter. Per Marchand, he was earning roughly a seven-figure salary. FS1 tried to recruit him a few years ago, but ESPN prevailed.
He built his résumé on the field before making the move to television. His 12-year NFL career included stops with the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets. He made the Pro Bowl in 2002 and was part of two Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams during his time in New England.
Now, there is already some interest in where he could land. Wingo said he hopes his team at The Wingo Network can be part of Woody’s future “in some shape or form.”
Woody has yet to reveal what he plans to do next. For now, though, he appears ready to take his time and figure out what he wants his next chapter to look like. He joins figures like Ryan Clark, Ian Rapoport, and Karl Ravech, who were all abruptly let go by ESPN following its acquisition of NFL Network. Right before Woody was let go, ESPN parted ways with Bart Scott, another familiar figure.