ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith revealed Thursday that he will make at least three appearances on the Monday Night Countdown pre-game show during the 2025 NFL season.
Speaking to Renee Washington of Front Office Sports, Smith said he will be part of the show prior to the Week 3 Monday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens, as well as Week 9 between the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, and Week 14 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers.
However, Smith suggested that more appearances could potentially be added over the course of the season, saying:
“Those are just the three I know about. Knowing them at ESPN, they’ll want more. They’ll certainly want more of me on NBA Countdown. And so who knows? I mean, I’m doing First Take. But it’s ESPN. They know whatever they need me for—SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, NFL Countdown—it doesn’t matter. Whatever’s going to help make the network successful. [ESPN executives] Jimmy Pitaro, Burke Magnus, Dave Roberts, Mike McQuade. They know me. They know I’ll do whatever they ask.”
Per Front Office Sports, Smith’s integration into Monday Night Countdown is part of the five-year, $100 million contract extension he recently signed with ESPN.
While NBA coverage is considered Smith’s specialty, he often talks about the NFL and all other major sports on his popular First Take debate show on ESPN.
Smith, who is the star and executive producer of First Take, has been integral to its success since joining in 2012.
Monday Night Countdown airs on ESPN before every Monday Night Football game, and it features a large panel of hosts and analysts, including Jason Kelce, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, Adam Schefter, Scott Van Pelt and Michelle Beisner-Buck, usually on the field prior to the game.
While Smith may not bring the same level of football expertise to the table as those already on the show, he figures to provide some additional excitement and generate more interest in Monday Night Countdown thanks to his big personality and penchant for promoting discussion.
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