Longtime ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth has jumped to rival FS1.
The three-time Super Bowl champion lineman made his FS1 debut Tuesday morning alongside Skip Bayless, ex-Broncos teammate Shannon Sharpe and Joy Taylor on "Undisputed."
Excited to welcome 3-time Super Bowl champion @markschlereth as FS1's newest NFL Analyst! pic.twitter.com/VIf3Mbz8fq
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 11, 2017
Schlereth is close to ousted FS1 boss Jamie Horowitz from their time together at ESPN. His move to FS1 from ESPN has been in the works for months, said sources. Horowitz closed the deal to bring the former player nicknamed "Stink" to FS1 several weeks ago, source said.
Schlereth has worked as an NFL analyst at ESPN since 2001, appearing on "NFL Live," "SportsCenter," "Mike & Mike in the Morning" and other shows. But sources said his contract was expiring at ESPN the same time the network was looking to shed 100 on-air talents/reporters. ESPN informed Schlereth his contract was not going to be renewed, freeing him to move cross-country to FS1.
MORE: What happens at FS1 post-Horowitz?
I could see Fox Sports using him on both "Fox NFL Sunday" and Charissa Thompson's "Fox NFL Kickoff" as well as the "Undisputed" and "Speak for Yourself" studio shows in Los Angeles.
As Mike Florio notes at Pro Football Talk, Schlereth's new deal with FS1 was probably finalized before Horowitz was fired last week.
Schlereth joins a long list of ex-ESPNers recruited by Horowitz during his two-year reign at FS1, including Skip Bayless, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Chris Broussard, Doug Gottlieb and Ray Lewis.
Whether Eric Shanks, and whoever he appoints as Horowitz's successor, wants to keep Team Jamie intact is another matter. Shanks told John Ourand of Sports Business Journal that it will be steady as she goes at FS1.
Shanks also rubber-stamped Horowitz's hiring/firing decisions, including his controversial move to dump 20-plus journalists at FoxSports.com in favor of native advertising-like videos for "Undisputed" as well as Colin Cowherd and Jason Whitlock's "Speak for Yourself."
"At its core, these are high-profile, credible personalities that people enjoy watching on television," Shanks told SBJ. “The idea of ‘Embrace Debate’ really has been overplayed. Good TV is good TV."
