Stephen A. Smith appears to be close to landing a major NFL insider for ‘First Take’ with Peter Schrager reportedly in talks over joining ESPN. 

Schrager has been a regular on the NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ show in recent years and also contributes to Fox’s coverage of the league.

However, The Athletic reported on Friday morning that he could soon by heading over to ESPN.

The report reveals Schrager is yet to put pen to paper on a contract with ESPN but if he joins he will play a role in the network’s daily programming. 

That will mean appearances on ‘NFL Live’, ‘Get Up’ and ‘First Take’, which Smith – who recently signed a $100million, five-year deal with ESPN – fronts every day.

ESPN is busy putting plans in place for the Super Bowl in 2027, which it will broadcast from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. 

NFL insider Peter Schrager is reportedly in talks over a deal to join ESPN

It’s claimed Schrager’s deal would see him appear on Stephen A. Smith’s ‘First Take’ at times

Schrager, 42, has become an increasingly influential figure in NFL media in recent years.

He gained popularity as part of the four-person panel on ‘Good Morning Football’ as the show become a staple of NFL fans’ coverage.

When the show moved from its studio in New York to Los Angeles, Schrager would sometimes be in California but more often than not he would appear remotely from the Big Apple – where he lives. 

Schrager was given a pregame role on Fox’s coverage of this year’s Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. 

During the regular season, he could be seen on the network’s 11am weekly pregame show.