Is Max Kellerman leaving ESPN? Network set to cancel analyst’s radio show with Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams

ESPN has been shaking things up and Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams could be on the chopping board next. They are already gone, as per the New York Post, from the radio show "Keyshawn, JWill & Max Show" that broadcasts every morning nationally on the network's radio channel.

It puts Max Kellerman, particularly, in a very dicey position within the network as it stands now. Not only is the radio show being canceled, his timeslot on TV for "This Just In" will go to the "Pat McAfee Show" when the former NFL player joins the network.

Kellerman is on big money and all indications now point that he is going to be part of the layoffs that have been a hallmark for ESPN and its parent company, Disney, in recent months. There have been reports that he might end up opposite Skip Bayless on "Undisputed" now that Shannon Sharpe has left. However, there are other options there as well, including his current radio co-hosts.

How different is the position of Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams compared to Max Kellerman?

With the show being canceled, Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams will join Max Kellerman on the chopping board. But the situations for each of the individuals is slightly different.

Jay Williams has other roles within the organization and is well-liked by the NFL. He works as an NBA Analyst and there are no indications that there is some change afoot there. For Keyshawn Johnson, he signed a four-year $18 million contract last year. He is part of "NFL Live" and his role could be expanded as well if other layoffs happen.

Jay Williams also has a podcast "The Limits with Jay Williams" with NPR that began in 2021 and that is something ESPN is reportedly trying to focus on. They want to invest more in the podcast segment than radio. In New York, for example, the canceled radio show has been replaced by a local radio show, with no national replacement already.

Keyshawn Johnson, meanwhile, has emerged as a target for Skip Bayless, after Shannon Sharpe's departure from "Undisputed." It means that there is more incentive for the network to try to hold him.

But the indication from Disney is that they are trying to move on from high-money contracts and restructuring their business more towards streaming and podcast than TV. So, if anyone remains out of reach monetarily, they would rather let that happen than overpay, based on all recent evidence.