Is Mina Kimes leaving ESPN? Ringer waiting in wings for in-demand NFL analyst

ESPN analyst Mina Kimes has become a fan favorite on the sports network where she has worked for almost a decade.

Most notably known for being a co-host on NFL Live, she also contributes to other breaking news stories on the network. This year, her contract is set to expire with ESPN, which will leave the door open for her to pursue other opportunities.

As her popularity has grown, so has the attention from other media outlets who would jump at the chance to hire Kimes. One of them is Bill Simmons with "The Ringer" who said that he has been interested in hiring her for a while.

In a recent interview with The Post, Simmons also said that if she joined The Ringer, she would be able to cover other topics beyond sports as well, if that's what she desires:

“She’s been my number one draft pick for a while," Bill Simmons from The Ringer said.

This week, while in Glendale, Arizona, Kimes has spoken with several networks about possible career opportunities that would also allow her to continue working on her podcast, "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny".

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Mina Kimes net worth

ESPN hired Mina Kimes in 2014 after she worked as a business journalist for seven years.

The network was impressed with a story she had written about her and her father's love of the Seattle Seahawks. Through her time with ESPN, she has written stories for the website and also worked for NFL Live, First Take, Around the Horn and High Noon.

In 2018, ESPN extended her contract with a multi-year deal that's set to expire in 2023. The financial details on Kimes' contract aren't known.

Since she started as a writer for ESPN and worked her way up, it's believed that her contract is worth less than seven figures. However, due to her growing popularity, a new network could offer her over that figure to sign her.

Kimes' current networth is estimated to be just about $1 million through her salary throughout the last decade.

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Who are the free agent NFL analysts in 2023?

Mina Kimes may not be the only NFL analyst on the move in 2023. NFL Network and FOX Sports reporter Peter Schrager's contract is also set to expire in 2023.

Schrager, who co-hosts on "Good Morning Football" every weekday, also works on Sunday's NFL Kickoff show on FOX. He, too, is expected to be of high interest by other networks because of his sources around the National Football League.

Kimes NFL Live co-host Marcus Spears will also be a free agent this year. His experience not only with ESPN but also on the SEC Network has made him a popular analyst among fans. He, too, could see a pay increase this year, as other major networks may be interested in adding him to their gameday lineups.