Just a few months after Chris “Mad Dog” Russo was supposed to retire, he’s reportedly signing a contract extension with ESPN.
According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Russo has landed a multiyear contract to continue his role on First Take. Russo made his first appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s ESPN show in early 2022 to discuss voting in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Shortly after his debut, Russo signed on to make weekly appearances with Smith every Wednesday throughout the year.
Much to ESPN’s dismay, Russo later revealed on The Howard Stern Show that he was being paid $10,000 per appearance. But that was two contracts ago. After signing an extension last year and again this year, it’s reasonable to assume he’s getting a raise, although ESPN declined to offer details when McCarthy reached out for comment.
More interesting than the value of Russo’s contract, however, is the length. According to McCarthy, it’s a “multiyear” deal. Stephen A. Smith’s contract with ESPN, meanwhile, is slated to expire in less than 17 months.
It’s hard to imagine Russo on First Take without Smith. It’s also hard to imagine First Take without Smith. But Smith has not shied away from the fact that while he wants to remain with ESPN beyond his current contract, he wants to be the network’s highest paid employee and is building up his personal podcast with Audacy in case they’re unable to reach a deal.
While it seems like Russo will be at ESPN for the long-term, the Radio Hall of Famer still has a decision to make about his future with SiriusXM. Last summer, Russo told Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina that his SiriusXM Radio deal was set to expire soon and would make a decision on his future after the Super Bowl. It’s now after the Super Bowl and there’s news on the 64-year-old’s future at ESPN, but nothing yet on the radio side.
Hosting a radio show for three hours a day, five days a week is a grind. If Russo ever does decide to cut back on his schedule that includes two TV shows and a daily radio show, doing First Take once a week would ensure that he remains relevant, while still allowing him to drastically reduce his workload.
[FOS]