For 15 years, former Florida and NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer has been mainstay of ESPN’s football staff. Amid an offseason of massive change, ESPN has made a final decision on Palmer’s status with the company.
On Friday, ESPN announced that they have re-signed Palmer multi-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but ESPN stated that they look forward to seeing Palmer alongside ESPN analysts Joey Galloway and Matt Barrie “for years to come.”
ESPN probably had to fight pretty hard to ensure that Palmer stays with them. Palmer has been getting roles on big shows across media for the better part of a decade, most notably as the host of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
As a result, Palmer’s ESPN fans and colleagues alike are glad to have him back. Barrie himself congratulated Palmer, while others made Bachelor/Bachelorette-themed jokes about the move.
Jesse Palmer played four seasons at Florida, during which he had 3,755 passing yards under Steve Spurrier. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and in the second round of the 2001 CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes.
Choosing the NFL over the CFL, Palmer appeared in just eight games, throwing for 565 yards and three touchdowns before being cut in 2005.
Palmer began his media career while he was still playing, appearing in season 5 of The Bachelor in 2004. But he really made his bones in broadcasting, first with FOX, then NFL Network and finally settling in at ESPN.
The Worldwide Leader in Sports is happy to have Palmer back in the fold.