Report: Tom Jackson may bolt ESPN
By Brad Weiss
ESPN has lost a lot of big names this year, and longtime commentator Tom Jackson may be next.
Tom Jackson has spent the last 28 years as a familiar face on television, becoming one of the biggest personalities on ESPN during his time hosting “Sunday NFL Countdown.” However, he may not be back for the 2016 NFL season, ending an incredible run by the former player. Jackson has not decided whether or not he will return to ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown.”
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“He’s still weighing his options,” an industry source told Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News. “This will be Tommy’s call. It’s up to him. Tommy’s driving the train on this one. The situation is fluid.”
The 65-year-old Jackson has been weighing his options for a long time, and as ESPN continues to bring in new blood, it seems the old guard is slowly fading away. ESPN legend Chris Berman will retire this year after the NFL season, and the network has already lost Mike Tirico to NBC.
ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” will have a new look regardless if Jackson returns or not, giving Berman a brand new team. The network announced that Randy Moss will be joining the show. Moss will be joined by newly retired NFL players Charles Woodson and Matthew Hasselbeck, who will be replacing holdovers Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, and Cris Carter.
Before his time at ESPN, Jackson enjoyed a great 14-year career with the Denver Broncos. He had his best years from 1977-1979, appearing in three Pro Bowls, while being named to three All-Pro teams. Jackson retired after the 1986 season, and joined ESPN in 1987.
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