"You Don't Have to Succumb": 2x Patriots Super Bowl Champ Embraces Freedom After ESPN Firing

Damien Woody’s 15-year run at ESPN came to an end last week when the network chose not to renew his contract, joining a host of former figures laid off by the network this year. Appearing on “The Trey Wingo Show,” Woody opened up about processing the exit and what life outside the network might actually look like, and reflecting on the kind of editorial freedom that comes with stepping away from a major network’s programming demands.

“You don’t have to succumb to, ‘we’re gonna talk about the Cowboys every show,’ or this or that,” Woody said on the show. “You’ll have some freedom to do or say the things that you really want to say”

That comment came in direct response to something host Trey Wingo said moments earlier, as he has been through a similar transition. Wingo went through his own ESPN departure in 2020 and has since taken a different route in football media.

“The best part is the freedom to be your own boss. It’s quite liberating, actually,” Wingo said.

Damien Woody's next move is still unfolding, but his 15 years in the NFL media space have plenty to teach us. Subscribe for more interesting stories.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand was the first to report that ESPN would not renew Woody’s deal. Woody is expected to remain with the network until the end of August, when the contract expires. He was a long-standing veteran of the network and is looking back at his time positively.

“Being at ESPN for 15 years, it’s been an absolute joy,” he told Marchand, who reported that Woody will be open to other jobs. “At the end of the day, I just want to talk ball.”

Woody joined ESPN in 2011 shortly after retiring from the NFL and became a regular on shows including Get Up, First Take, NFL Live, and SportsCenter. Per Marchand, he was earning roughly a seven-figure salary. FS1 tried to recruit him a few years ago, but ESPN prevailed.

He built his résumé on the field before making the move to television. His 12-year NFL career included stops with the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets. He made the Pro Bowl in 2002 and was part of two Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams during his time in New England.

Now, there is already some interest in where he could land. Wingo said he hopes his team at The Wingo Network can be part of Woody’s future “in some shape or form.”

Woody has yet to reveal what he plans to do next. For now, though, he appears ready to take his time and figure out what he wants his next chapter to look like. He joins figures like Ryan Clark, Ian Rapoport, and Karl Ravech, who were all abruptly let go by ESPN following its acquisition of NFL Network. Right before Woody was let go, ESPN parted ways with Bart Scott, another familiar figure.

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