ESPN reporter reveals ‘anxiety’ around working NFL MNF after stepping away from show after a decade

Laura Rutledge often seems invincible when out on the sidelines working for ESPN.

But the “NFL Live” host and “Monday Night Football” sideline reporter admits she sometimes struggles internally with the weight of expectation placed upon her.

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Rutledge was promoted to a full-time role as a sideline reporter for MNF last summer, alongside long-time ESPN reporter Lisa Salters, and went viral at multiple points of the season, including the awkward postgame interaction with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

This came months after penning a multi-year contract extension with the network back in February 2025, despite many layoffs elsewhere around the network after talks of a multi-billion deal with NFL Media.

But in a recent appearance on Shannon Spake’s Sons and Daughters podcast, the 37-year-old anchor spoke candidly of the anxiety and mental battles she faces every time she takes to an NFL field.

“I deal with that [anxiety] every day, I really do,” Rutledge said on Wednesday.

“I think there’s probably some people out there in the world that go to their TV job and feel great about it everyday, that has never happened to me.

“I can know inside of me I’m capable of doing these things, and yet be my own worst enemy the whole time. Beating myself down or telling myself I can’t do it or I’m gonna fail.”

Rutledge’s rise up the TV broadcasting ranks has been remarkable, with her having held hosting roles for ABC and the SEC Network in addition to her work at ESPN, where she has appeared on “SportsCenter” and “Monday Night Countdown”.

But Rutledge admitted that she particularly dealt with negative thoughts about herself her during her debut season working full-time on MNF.

“I had a lot of trouble with that this past season,” Rutledge added. “Before the day would start, psyching myself out and being like ‘You’re not gonna be able to do this, you’re gonna have a big mess up today,’ beating myself down so bad.

“By the time I would get to the game, I’d be like ‘Oh, I’m fine.’ I had to prove to myself every single one of those Mondays that I could actually do it again, which is wild because I couldn’t convince myself that I had done it last week.”

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But her internal struggles did not show on the pitch, nor to ESPN executives, with Rutledge set to continue in her position for the 2026 season.

Rutledge’s SEC Nation replacement revealed

Having been kept incredibly busy since beginning her career in 2014 with Fox Sports, Rutledge has decided to call time on hosting SEC Nation after nine years.

She succeeded Maria Taylor in the role of the network’s College GameDay-like show back in May 2017.

It was revealed in March that 13-year veteran sportscaster Matt Barrie would be Rutledge’s successor, stepping in alongside Paul Finebaum and Tim Tebow.

The multi-faceted Barrie was another recipient of a multi-year contract extension with ESPN.

“ESPN has been my home for 12 years, and there’s no other place I’d rather continue my career,” he said in a statement at the time.

“I’m a college football junkie, and a golf nerd, so this job is perfect for me. I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve accomplished and continuing to grow and have fun.”

The show looks to be in good hands going forward, with SEC Nation not fully closing the door on Rutledge either, with her likely set to keep her sideline role for future college football broadcasts.

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