The NFL season is quickly approaching, and one of the league’s broadcast partners is undergoing some programming changes.
Fox Sports has pulled the plug on three FS1 shows featuring former NFL players as co-hosts, forcing the ex-athletes to quickly explore new media opportunities amid the abrupt shakeup.
Let’s examine who has been affected.
6 Former NFL Players’ Future Up in the Air After Fox Sports Axes Multiple FS1 Shows
Fox Sports and FS1, more particularly, have been steady homes for former NFL players to break into media. The networks have featured many former stars on multiple shows, but Fox is moving in a different direction on the eve of NFL training camps opening.
The cancelled shows are “Speak,” “Breakfast Ball,” and “The Facility.” The former began in 2022, but the latter two have not reached their one-year anniversaries.
Joy Taylor, former NBA champion Paul Pierce, and former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson hosted “Speak.” Long-time radio personalities Craig Carton, Danny Parkins, and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth hosted “Breakfast Ball.”
“The Facility” featured four former NFLers as co-hosts and was pitched as “from the athlete’s perspective.” Emmanuel Acho, Chase Daniel, James Jones, and LeSean McCoy routinely had quality conversations about current NFL topics.
.@89JonesNTAF says the Steelers are disrespecting T.J. Watt by diving into his trade value:
“You’re not going anywhere if 90 is not there.” pic.twitter.com/Ay49VP0H6w
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 14, 2025
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand broke the news of the cancelled shows, writing, “The three shows struggled to find a huge audience, prompting the cancellations, according to sources briefed on the decision…Taylor co-hosted ‘Speak’ with Keyshawn Johnson and Paul Pierce.
“FS1 is also ending the morning shows, ‘Breakfast Ball’ and ‘The Facility.” Fox Sports declined to comment. “Breakfast Ball” featured Craig Carton, Mark Schlereth, and Danny Parkins. “The Facility” is hosted by Emmanuel Acho, Chase Daniel, James Jones, and LeSean McCoy and began less than a year ago. All four are former NFL players.”
Per The Athletic, Fox Sports is cancelling “The Facility”, where former Ravens WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh sometimes appeared
“The Facility” featured former players such as Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy
The network is also cancelling “Speak” where Houshmandzadeh also appeared pic.twitter.com/P9zovE8UEH
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) July 14, 2025
“Breakfast Ball” and “The Facility” were lead-ins for FS1’s powerhouse show “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” but now the network will have to find new programming as the season approaches.
With Their Shows Cancelled, Multiple Former NFLers Will Have to Turn Elsewhere
Johnson, a Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a long-time ESPN NFL analyst before leaving the network in 2023. Johnson’s new show, “All Facts No Brakes,” is run by Fox Sports and appears on YouTube.
Schlereth has been in the media since retiring after the 2000 season. He has been a color commentator for Fox’s NFL coverage since 2017 and is set to continue that role this season. Schlereth also hosts the “Stinkin’ Truth Podcast.”
Acho hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2015 season and began his media career as an analyst for the Longhorn Network in 2016. He left ESPN to join Fox Sports in 2020. He has produced his own digital series and has published multiple books. It’s unclear what his future is at the network.
Jones was an analyst for NFL Network before joining the cast of “The Facility” in 2024. Daniel retired following the 2022 season, and “The Facility” was his first full-time media opportunity.
“The Facility” was another mainstream media opportunity for McCoy after he previously featured on “Speak” with Acho and Taylor. He also co-hosts “The 25/10 Show” with fellow former Philadelphia Eagles player DeSean Jackson.
It’s unclear where Jones, Daniel, and McCoy stand with Fox.
