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Ryan Clark's seat on "Monday Night Countdown," ESPN's pregame show that precedes "Monday Night Football," did not remain empty for long.Jason McCourty, the former NFL defensive back who transitioned to media once his playing career ended after the 2021 season, will join the desk alongside host Scott Van Pelt and analysts Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears.McCourty and ESPN reached a deal earlier this year that exclusively kept him at ESPN. He co-hosted "Good Morning Football" on NFL Network (now owned by ESPN) for a stretch beginning in 2022 and joined the "Worldwide Leader" as a contributor in 2024. He was a color analyst for NFL games for CBS and called "Thursday Night Football" games on national radio for Westwood One.Clark, who had a full-time role on the "Countdown" desk since 2023 when the show was reimagined with Van Pelt as host, was part of the network's high-profile layoffs last month. His firing, though – coming in the middle of a "NFL Live" show – compelled many to question the network's handling of the moves.McCourty played 13 seasons in the NFL, eight of them with the Tennessee Titans. He won Super Bowl 53 with the New England Patriots alongside his twin brother, Devin McCourty, who is an analyst for NBC's "Football Night in America" on Sunday nights.NFL fans now have a double-dose of McCourtys in prime time on back-to-back nights this season.Jason McCourty's NFL stats, careerPlaying with his brother at Rutgers University, Jason McCourty was drafted in the sixth round (203rd overall) by Tennessee in 2009. He left Tennessee after the 2016 season for a year with the Cleveland Browns before three seasons with the Patriots.He appeared in seven games for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 before calling it a career.How long has Jason McCourty been with ESPN?McCourty first joined ESPN in 2024 but held onto his roles with CBS Sports and Westwood One. His June deal exclusively brought him to ESPN, which has given him a highly-visible role. He'll also continue to appear on shows such as "NFL Live," "SportsCenter," "Get Up" and more.
