Who does the Sunday NFL Countdown cast consist of? All you need to know about the team

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Sunday NFL Countdown cast 2023

The Sunday NFL Countdown is one of the highest-rated programs on NFL TV, and it is one show that football enthusiasts can rely on for top-notch analysis. This segment of the broader ESPN network airs on ESPN in the United States and TSN in Canada from 10 AM to 1 PM (EST) every Sunday during the National Football League regular season.

The show has been around since 1985, undergoing several name changes before it settled for its current name in 1998. Just as the name has frequently changed, the show has had several hosts since its 20th-century inception.

The Sunday NFL Countdown's current host is Samantha Ponder, who has been the program's host since 2017. Here, we will introduce you to several notable names that helm the Sunday NFL Countdown presently.

Sunday NFL Countdown's main stars

Let's look at the main panelists of the Sunday NFL Countdown, the faces that we so regularly anticipate seeing on the segment every Sunday.

1. Samantha Ponder

Samantha Ponder is a college-trained and very experienced sports television host. She has been a reporter and host for ESPN since 2006, regularly covering college football and NBA games.

She landed her main gig as the host of Sunday NFL Countdown in 2017 and has held that position ever since. Samantha Ponder is happily married to former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder.

2. Matt Hasselbeck

Matt Hasselbeck is an analyst on the popular show. The former Pro Bowler had an illustrious football career back in the day. The Boston College alum played for the Seattle Seahawks most of his career after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft.

Hasselbeck was a great QB, and his efforts were rewarded with three Pro Bowl selections in an era heralded as the greatest quarterback era in NFL history.

Matt Hasselbeck retired from the NFL following the 2015 NFL season, and after his retirement, he went into sports broadcasting full-time. He landed a gig on the Sunday NFL Countdown quickly. He has been an analyst on the show ever since.

3. Tedy Bruschi

Tedy Lacap Bruschi was not your regular linebacker in his playing days in the NFL. No, 'Big Game' Teddy was the heart and soul of the New England Patriots' defence during his years in the league. His impact was so great that they never let go of him till he announced his retirement in 2008.

Teddy Bruschi was one of the best players in his position during his time in the league and contributed to forming the New England Patriots dynasty.

Following his retirement after numerous injury setbacks, the two-time All-Pro selection moved into broadcasting and occasional coaching. Bruschi joined ESPN as an analyst following his retirement. Since 2019, Teddy Bruschi has been a part of the NFL Countdown's main panel, showcasing his defensive nous in the process.

4. Randy Moss

Randy Moss needs no introduction, and you don't get bigger in the game of football than having a signature move named after you. Moss is undoubtedly one of the greatest wide receivers to play the game of football.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer has over a dozen NFL records to his name, and it was a no-brainer that he would go into broadcasting following his 2012 retirement.

Since retiring, Moss has worked for ESPN as a studio analyst for its Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown programs. He has been a panelist on the NFL Countdown since 2016, bringing his offensive nous to the table.

Randy Moss is just as energetic on the panel as he was in the Gridiron and is credited for increasing the show's rating.

5. Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan is the resident coach on the Sunday NFL Countdown broadcast, and the Super Bowl winner is one of the panelists on the show. Rex Ryan has served as a defensive coordinator and NFL head coach over his decades-long coaching career. His last coaching gig was with the Buffalo Bills in the 2016 season.

Since leaving the Bulls, Rex Ryan has served as an analyst and panelist on the Sunday NFL Countdown. He regularly speaks from the coach's perspective and adds an air of authority to defensive analysis.

6. Alex Smith

Alex Smith, the former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback joined the show as a regular analyst prior to the start of the 2023 NFL season. He will join the rest of the crew on every Sunday before the games.

Apart from the regular crew, senior NFL insider Adam Schefter is also usually present on the show to provide latest updates around players and the teams.


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Edited by Akshay Saraswat