Mike Greenberg Refuses To Apologize For Where He Stands Politically
Mike Greenberg will be featured prominently on the 2026 NFL Draft tonight.
The longtime ESPN host will be anchoring the network's coverage of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Greenberg, 58, will be on the network's main desk, along with Mel Kiper Jr., Booger McFarland and Louis Riddick. Laura Rutledge will be serving as ESPN's top reporter, interviewing the prospects who get selected.
Greenberg, a Northwestern graduate, has been part of ESPN's NFL Draft coverage for several years now. He's been part of some viral moments, too. Last season, he was on the desk as Mel Kiper Jr. sounded off on NFL teams being "clueless" for not drafting Shedeur Sanders, who slipped into the fifth round.
Greenberg is known for his strong takes.
The New York City resident has made it clear that he'll sound off politically when needed. Greenberg once demanded that the NFL owners go hard after President Donald J. Trump, who was being critical of the league.
Greenberg felt that it was important to stand up against President Trump during that time. He admits that the political discourse in this country is horrible. It's a stance he refuses to apologize for.
The longtime ESPN host "hates" what politics has become.
"The best thing about sports conversation is that it ascends into debate. And I use that word advisedly. It doesn't descend," Greenberg said during his former ESPN Radio show. "Our political discourse in this country in this day and age stinks. It's awful. It descends into the lowest common denominator all the time. It descends into nastiness. It descends into people calling each other names and separating themselves and drawing themselves further apart rather than having an actual intellectual conversation."
Greenberg's former ESPN coworker has a different take, though.
Mike Golic chooses to stay out of the political discourse
Golic, who co-hosted "Mike & Mike" on ESPN Radio with Greenberg for nearly 18 years, chooses to stay out of it.
He believes that no one cares about his political opinion when he's talking sports.
"My thought process is that nobody cares what I have to say politically. They don't tune into my show to hear me talk politics, they tune in for me to talk sports. If one of my co-workers wants to do that, that's their right to do," he told Fox Business back in 2018.
"If they feel that hurts their brand or ESPN overall, that's something they have to have a discussion with the new president of ESPN about. [But] I am supportive of my colleagues. They're allowed to have their own opinions and express their opinions."
We probably won't be getting much politics during the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night. However, the host of the NFL Draft on ESPN has made it clear where he stands.
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. E.T. on Thursday night. ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network will have complete coverage throughout the evening.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 11:03 AM.