NFL Network layoffs list: Andrew Siciliano among on-air personalities on the way out
NFL Network, a pillar of the football sports talk community and one of the most well-known places to turn for news on the sport on cable, is getting a massive rework. Programs are getting moved, with and without certain personalities, and much is up in the air this offseason.
The NFL owns NFL Network and is thought by many outside that its messaging is controlled accordingly. Certain topics are inherently off-limits, including talk of the league's owners. NFL Network regular Colleen Wolfe's controversial reveal of an alleged argument between New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and head coach Robert Saleh proved that.
Each owner collectively owns a chunk of the NFL. The NFL Network is owned by the NFL. Ergo, the owners of all 32 teams effectively have massive control over the network, but as only 32 humans, cannot control every little action taken by the individual employees of the institution. In other words, slip-ups occur, and that is what allegedly happened with Wolfe.
Andrew Siciliano headlines the latest major shakeup with the network following the Wolfe controversy. The former DirecTV RedZone host was let go this week. The host was one of the most recognizable faces on the network. However, he wasn't the only one.
Full list of journalists laid off at NFL Network
On top of the latest casualties, CNBC and Sports Business Journal reported in January that roughly 200 employees of the NFL were offered a voluntary buyout package. When adding age and service years, those who totaled 70 were offered the buyout. The full list of those affected appears to be under wraps.
In May 2023, the network cut ties with about 5% of its workforce of about 1,100 people, per CNBC. The league is considering selling assets of the network or perhaps the entirety of the network itself to ESPN. The discussions are ongoing and a resolution might be expected in the coming months.
The latest layoffs in 2024 could be just the first rumble before the full earthquake. Here's a look at the latest casualties.
Melissa Stark
Melissa Stark was part of the network's big event coverage. She will remain the sideline reporter for Sunday Night Football. Often seen on the sideline for the program on NBC, she has interviewed everyone from Patrick Mahomes to those on the other side of the spectrum.
She's covered the Olympics and worked as a fill-in host for the Weekend edition of the Today Show. In the past, she has also covered the NFL for ABC's edition of Monday Night Football in the 2000s.
Andrew Siciliano
Siciliano has been a mainstay on the NFL Network for the last decade. In addition to his duties with the network, he has served as the RedZone show host for the DirecTV edition of RedZone going back to 2005. In the past, he has worked as a play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Rams.
Siciliano isn't known for his interview acumen, as a host of programs that don't typically interview players, but he has rubbed shoulders with names at all levels in his time in the NFL.
James Palmer
Palmer joined the NFL Media in 2015 as a national reporter and covered major events, including the Super Bowl. He's appeared on numerous programs on NFL Network, including but not limited to Good Morning Football, NFL Total Access, and NFL GameDay Morning. He also wrote for the NFL Network website.
Palmer hails from Denver and has spent time with various Denver Broncos stars over the years. He also spent time with the Houston Texans.
Will Selva
Will Selva has co-hosted Good Morning Football for the NFL Network and had worked for the network since 2013. Selva had spent time with CNN and ESPN before that, covering Andrew Luck before the Indianapolis Colts selected him.
Before CNN, he worked for a local television station in Oakland, covering the Raiders and the other local teams.