Football <\/p>\n
ESPN is elevating Jordan Rodgers beyond SEC Nation into national college football broadcasts, making another shakeup to deliver the best broadcasting product on those Saturdays and Sundays. Just a few weeks ago, ESPN elevated Laura Rutledge\u2019s focus to covering Monday Night Football with Troy Aikman. That meant Laura had to leave SEC Network after a decade of being one of the stars of the show. Now, ESPN is moving Chase Daniel to the SEC Network as Aaron Rodgers\u2019 brother gets another \u201celevated\u201d role across ESPN and ABC\u2019s football coverage.<\/p>\n
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The promotion means Rodgers is leaving SEC Nation, where he had been one of the show\u2019s main analysts alongside Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum, and Roman Harper. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel will take Rodgers\u2019 spot on the SEC Network program and will also call Thursday night games with Barrie.<\/p>\n
His new assignment moves him beyond that lane. Sources told Front Office Sports<\/em> that he is being moved to a higher-profile role on ESPN and ABC game broadcasts. Specific assignments have not yet been announced, but the move signals that ESPN views Rodgers as a bigger part of its national college football coverage. Rodgers\u2019 exit from SEC Nation shows ESPN\u2019s confidence in his national-broadcast potential. Did Rutledge\u2019s exit create the opportunity?<\/p>\n Not directly. Rutledge\u2019s departure and Rodgers\u2019 promotion happened around the same time, but they are separate decisions. ESPN is preparing for its upcoming Super Bowl coverage, and Rutledge has become one of the network\u2019s key NFL personalities through NFL Live and Monday Night Football.<\/p>\n \u201cI think most people are like, \u201cOh, cool. You\u2019re moving on up,\u2019 and the reality is there\u2019s this ache in my heart for that show and having to think about stepping away from it,\u201d Rutledge said on the Gramlich and Mac Lain Show on June 14. \u201cAnd I\u2019m so excited for Matt Barrie, who\u2019s taking over. The show is in excellent hands\u2026 But that show has kind of been like my passion project for all these years.\u201d<\/p>\n Her departure created an opening for a new host. ESPN filled that role with Barrie. Rodgers, meanwhile, is leaving the show entirely for a larger broadcasting assignment. His exit then opened the door for Daniel to join the SEC Nation cast. As for Rodgers, he will be an apt promotion within ESPN, considering his footballing credentials. Rodgers earned this promotion on his own credentials, not because of his brother.<\/p>\n Rodgers first made his name as a quarterback at Vanderbilt University. In 2012, he helped Vanderbilt finish 9-4 and win the Music City Bowl. The season remains one of the best in modern Vanderbilt football history. After a brief NFL stint with teams including the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he moved into media.<\/p>\n His broadcasting career started with the SEC Network and ESPN. Over the years, he climbed from lower-profile game assignments to some of the network\u2019s biggest SEC broadcasts. What stands out is the steady rise. Rodgers did not leap into the top jobs immediately. He spent years working games, studio shows, and SEC Nation appearances before earning this latest promotion.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI did radio for a year and did some TV things, and I was already in place at ESPN before The Bachelorette started,\u201d said Rodgers to the Hollywood Reporter. \u201cSo that was a long time in the works, and then everything got amplified and accelerated. Being a former athlete and competitor, I like the aspect of prepping for the unknown.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a game that you study for, and then you show up and don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going to happen. I enjoy that aspect because even though we\u2019re not sweating, we\u2019re in suits, it\u2019s prepping for a game, and a little bit of an adrenaline rush.\u201d<\/p>\nFootball Jordan Rodgers built his career through sheer persistence.<\/h2>\n