ESPN Nears Mike Garafolo Deal as it Goes All-In on NFL Reporters

ESPN is closing in on keeping longtime NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo on a new contract, sources told Front Office Sports.

ESPN acquired NFL Network earlier this year in a deal that gave the league a 10% stake in ESPN. Garafolo’s new contract has not been finalized, one source said, and an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment.

Garafolo is both a league insider and a dynamic personality. He co-hosts The Insiders with Ian Rapoport—who also just signed a new multi-year deal to remain at ESPN and NFL Network—and Tom Pelissero, who is considered by many in the business to be at the top of the tier of NFL insiders after Rapoport and Adam Schefter.

Garafolo has also been a frequent contributor on Good Morning Football, NFL Network’s flagship daily morning program. All three of The Insiders have the chops to be featured up and down ESPN’s studio lineup on shows like SportsCenter, Get Up, and NFL Live.

With the NFL Network integration, ESPN has assembled an armada of NFL reporters.