Former NFL Network Reporter Jim Trotter Hired by The Athletic

Veteran NFL reporter Jim Trotter is joining The Athletic following his departure from the NFL Media Group last month, the publication announced on Tuesday.

Trotter will begin his duties as a reporter for The Athletic beginning in May.

Trotter’s contract was not renewed in the NFL media newsroom when it expired in March, which he believes was due in part to his criticism of commissioner Roger Goodell’s handling of diversity issues plaguing the NFL, specifically in the NFL Media newsroom.

At the time, Trotter told Michael Holley on the Brother From Another podcast that holding people accountable is paramount in a changing media landscape.

“I will have a lot to say about it at the appropriate time, which is not now,” Trotter said. “What I will say now is that journalism matters, and holding people who are in power accountable matters. And that’s part of our job, regardless of whether it’s our own employer or someone else… “One of the things the NFL always said internally was, ‘Hold us accountable. Hold us accountable as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion.’ And so for the last couple of years, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

Trotter added that the NFL Media newsroom did not have a Black person at the senior management level who had a “seat at the table” when it comes to how and who would cover the league. The NFL Media Group also did not have a full-time Black person at the news desk, which Trotter pointed out was an issue.