Laura Rutledge missing from start of NFL Live on ESPN with Phil Murphy being forced to fill in before return

NFL Live got off to a rocky start on Friday with the show's host missing as they went on air. Ahead of the final weekend of the preseason before the 2024 NFL season kicks off, Mina Kimes, Bill Barnwell, and Jeremy Fowler were all ready to go on ESPN 2. However, the host of the show, Laura Rutledge, was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, SportsCenter's Phil Murphy was unexpectedly in the driver's seat to get the show going. Murphy explained that Rutledge would resume her usual role shortly, joking that "her mic is currently in the blue tent so we'll see when she takes the field." Eventually, Rutledge did return to the show, quickly thanking Murphy who she said "saved the day here doing the A-block of our show.



" Read More on the NFL She explained that while Murphy had been hosting, she "was sprinting across the campus here in Gainesville ( Florida ) because we had weather at our normal set and had to get indoors." Rutledge was back on air later in the day, appearing on The Paul Finebaum Show, by which point their outdoor set on the Florida Gators ' campus was safe to use once more. "I just ran across the campus for you," she told Finebaum in an Instagram Stories post ahead of the show.

They will also be working side by side again on Saturday for SEC Nation from 10am ET. Most read in American Football There, Rutledge will be joined by Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers, and Tim Tebow in preparation for Florida's game against Miami . College Football Hall of Famers Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel will also be speaking with Rutledge and Tebow on the show.

This weekend represents a homecoming for Florida alumnus Rutledge, who while on the NFL Live set, shared with their viewers her favorite memory from her time as a Gator. "My favorite memory as a Gator was covering the 2008 National Championship team," she revealed . "Incredible time, and we knew it was special then.

I think in retrospect we've realized how special it really was. "It's something that I'll always treasure. A huge part of my career, certainly in the beginning of my career.

BELOW are the preseason top 25 rankings of college football's best programs Georgia Ohio State Oregon Texas Alabama Ole Miss Notre Dame Penn State Michigan Florida State Missouri Utah LSU Clemson Tennessee Oklahoma Oklahoma State Kansas State Miami Texas A&M Arizona Kansas USC NC State Iowa "But also just as a fan, it was amazing." The 2008 team was full of NFL talent, including the likes of future stars Percy Harvin, Janoris Jenkins, Carlos Dunlap, Mike Pouncey, Maurkice Pouncey, and Tebow just to name a handful. As for the 2024 Gators, they face a tough challenge to open their season, with Miami heading for "The Swamp" ranked 19th in the nation.

Read More on The US Sun Leading the way will be Heisman Trophy favorite, quarterback Cam Ward. The 22-year-old is entering his first season with the Hurricanes after transferring from Washington in January..