As the 2025 NFL season approaches, ESPN has re-signed one of the staples of its coverage.
In a release on Tuesday, the Worldwide Leader announced that it has signed Field Yates to a new multiyear contract. As a part of the deal, the Weston, Mass., native will continue to serve as one of the network’s lead NFL Draft, fantasy football and general NFL analysts and insiders, maintaining his presence on both podcasts and studio shows, including NFL Live and SportsCenter.
Despite having been at ESPN since 2012, it’s been impossible not to notice Yates’ profile growing at the Disney-owned company in recent years. In 2024, he became one of ESPN’s primary NFL Draft analysts and a mainstay of its coverage of the three-day event, in which he has been a part of the ABC broadcast during Nights 1 and 2 for each of the past two years.
Although it’s his work with the draft and as an occasional news-breaker that has attracted the most attention, Yates has also carved out his own lane as the Worldwide Leader’s preeminent fantasy football analyst. In addition to hosting shows such as ESPN 2’s Fantasy Football Now and the Fantasy Focus Football podcast, the former Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots staffer has also been a mainstay of the network’s annual fantasy football marathon ahead of each NFL season.
While he may not be ESPN’s highest profile talent, Yates is clearly a valued member of the network’s NFL roster, as his versatility as both a host and analyst and expertise on less mainstream subjects such as fantasy football and the draft play key roles in helping it stretch its coverage across the calendar. Factor in the impending equity deal with the NFL and launch of this week’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, and it’s hardly a surprise that ESPN would lock him in for the long haul — even if his scouting report suggests that he is a bit injury prone.