Sage Steele and Sam Ponder (Photos via Getty Images)

“Sunday NFL Countdown” host Sam Ponder was one of the shocking recent fires that ESPN had to make due to “financial decisions.”

However, Sage Steele, a former coworker of hers, has taken to X to reveal that “it’s all gonna come out” about Ponder’s true identity behind the scenes.

In the video, Steele says she and Ponder grew extremely close when working together because of their shared values and faith.

“Samantha has taught me so much about God, about scripture, about the bible, about not giving up and about standing tall,” she said. “And you know what, she’s done that for the last several years at ESPN, even when it was hard.“

“When I was still at ESPN, we would talk about it all the time, and I just need everyone to know, this is a brilliant woman, an incredible mother who’s also made me an incredible mother, who’s also made me a better mother, and I’m so excited for her future,” she continued. “It’s so scary when you’re in it; you don’t know if you’re going to ever be OK.”

 

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Steele, who had been with the network since 2007, left ESPN in August of 2023 after settling a lawsuit with the network after her comments about the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Many Online Believe There Was More To ESPN’s Decision To Fire Sam Ponder

Sam Ponder had been a staple at ESPN for years, so when her firing was announced, many online were quick to think it was for much more than financial reasons.

One theory is that Ponder has been very outspoken on the topic of transgender women and men in women’s sports.

Two Popular Names Emerge As Potential Replacements For Sam Ponder On ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ After Her Firing From ESPN

Sam Ponder (Photo via @samanthaponder/IG)
Two candidates have emerged as potential replacements for Sam Ponder on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ following her surprising release from ESPN.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports made two significant moves on Thursday, firing both Ponder and Robert Griffin III.

According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, the popular ESPN personalities were terminated as part of “budget moves,” with the company nearing the end of its fiscal year. Ponder, who had been hosting ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ since 2017, still had a year left on her deal.

She enjoyed a privilege typically reserved for the likes of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Peyton Manning as she did the show and was off for the rest of the year.

‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ is scheduled to return to the air soon as football season is only weeks away, which is why ESPN’s decision came as a shocker. The company will have to find a replacement soon.

 

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Who’s Going To Fill Sam Ponder’s Vacated Role At ESPN?

According to Marchand, Mike Greenberg and Laura Rutledge are the leading candidates. Greenberg has been a staple on ‘Get Up’ and has hosted SportsCenter, as well as a radio show with Mike Golic. He has also taken care of ‘NBA Countdown.’

Rutledge has hosted ‘NFL Live’ for the past four years and previously worked on ‘SEC Nation.’ She has been with ESPN for a decade.

Whoever the network sticks in the role remains to be seen. The 2024 NFL season will kick off on September 5, leaving them with a bit of time.

Of course, it’s highly probable that ESPN had someone lined up before pulling the plug on Sam Ponder. It’s likely to be someone from within.