Field Yates
Born 1987 · Age 38
American sportswriter and analyst; ESPN NFL Insider and fantasy football commentator. Former college two-sport athlete, New England Patriots intern, Kansas City Chiefs scouting/coaching staff member, joined ESPN in 2012.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Boston, Massachusetts
Field Minister Yates was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Attended Belmont Hill School (enrolled in high school)
Began attending Belmont Hill School, where he played football and lacrosse (exact enrollment year approximate).
Named to All-Independent School League (Belmont Hill)
Recognized for his play as a tight end and linebacker at Belmont Hill School by being named to the All-Independent School League.
Matriculated at Wesleyan University
Enrolled at Wesleyan University, where he would play football and lacrosse and study psychology (matriculation year approximate based on class of 2009).
Began New England Patriots summer internship program (start of four summers)
Started interning with the New England Patriots; he interned for four summers during high school and college, performing scouting and coaching duties (exact summer years approximate).
Continued Patriots summer internship
Second of four documented summer internships with the New England Patriots (scouting and coaching duties).
Continued Patriots summer internship
Third summer with the New England Patriots during his college years (scouting and coaching duties).
Final documented Patriots summer internship
Completed four summers interning for the New England Patriots across high school and college, splitting duties between scouting and coaching.
Graduated Wesleyan University (B.A. in Psychology)
Graduated from Wesleyan University, Class of 2009, with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology; was a two-sport athlete (football and lacrosse) and played safety on the football team.
Joined Kansas City Chiefs (scouting/coaching staff)
Hired by the Kansas City Chiefs to work in their scouting and coaching department; began his professional NFL staff career immediately after college.
Worked as in-house scout and assistant to Head Coach Todd Haley
In his first year with the Chiefs, Yates served as an in-house scout and later as an assistant to Head Coach Todd Haley, spending games in the coaching box and charting defensive plays.
Continued on Chiefs scouting/coaching staff
Served on the Kansas City Chiefs coaching and scouting staffs for a second season (ongoing responsibilities in coaching box and charting).
Left Kansas City Chiefs after Todd Haley's firing
Departed the Chiefs organization following the firing of head coach Todd Haley (Hayley was fired after the 2011 season); left NFL team employment and pivoted to writing and media.
Started writing a football blog and contributing to football sites
After leaving the Chiefs, Yates began writing a personal football blog and contributing to other football websites as he pursued broadcasting/journalism opportunities.
Connected with ESPN reporter Mike Reiss (mentor relationship)
Established a professional connection with ESPN reporter Mike Reiss, who served as a mentor and brought Yates into work with ESPN's Patriots coverage.
Transitioned career focus to broadcasting and journalism
Yates has stated his move into broadcasting and journalism was accidental, transitioning after internships and his Chiefs tenure into media roles beginning with ESPN Boston and expanding across ESPN.
Helped Mike Reiss with 2012 NFL Draft and Patriots coverage
Assisted ESPN reporter Mike Reiss during the 2012 NFL Draft and throughout the 2012 New England Patriots season as part of Reiss's local coverage responsibilities.
Hired by ESPN
ESPN hired Field Yates and assigned him to a variety of duties across the network, marking the start of a long-term media career at ESPN.
Began writing for ESPN Boston and ESPN.com
Wrote coverage for ESPN Boston and for ESPN.com as part of his early ESPN responsibilities, building his profile as an NFL/fantasy analyst.
Hosted ESPN Radio shows: Operation Football & Football Friendzy
Served as host/contributor on ESPN Radio programs such as Operation Football (with Randy Scott and Andrew Hawkins) and Football Friendzy (with Rachel Lindsay and Bobby Carpenter).
Took over hosting/co-hosting duties on Fantasy Focus Football podcast
Assumed hosting/co-hosting responsibilities on ESPN's Fantasy Focus Football podcast, contributing to the show's fantasy football coverage (date reported by multiple outlets).
Began serving as NFL Insider on Fantasy Football Now (start)
Started a five-season stint (2015–2019) as the NFL Insider on ESPN2's Fantasy Football Now, providing NFL and fantasy analysis on the pregame show.
Spoke at TED event (appearance listed)
Listed as participating in a TED conference segment titled 'Growing in the Media Space' (exact date of talk unclear in sources; appearance referenced in multiple bios).
Fantasy Focus Football began streaming live weekdays on Twitter
ESPN Audio's Fantasy Focus Football podcast, which Yates co-hosts, began streaming live on Twitter on weekdays in August 2018.
Ended five-season run as Fantasy Football Now NFL Insider
Completed five seasons (2015–2019) as the NFL Insider on Fantasy Football Now before later becoming show host.
Quoted in Wesleyan University Magazine profile
Featured in Wesleyan University Magazine (May 20, 2019) discussing how his psychology degree and college experience informed his media career.
Participated in ESPN annual Fantasy Football Marathon and NFL Draft coverage
Took part in ESPN's annual Fantasy Football Marathon and was part of ESPN's coverage team for the NFL Draft (recurring contributions; dates ongoing).
Monday Tailgate (digital pregame) debuted
Began contributing to Monday Night Football as the host of the digital pregame show 'Monday Tailgate,' which debuted in 2020 and streamed on ESPN’s social platforms and the ESPN App.
Signed new ESPN contract and became host of Fantasy Football Now
Agreed to a new contract (reported Sept 2, 2020) and assumed hosting duties for ESPN2's Fantasy Football Now beginning in 2020 (the show had previously featured him as an insider).
Began hosting 'First Draft' podcast
Started hosting the First Draft podcast with ESPN draft analysts (initially reported with Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay) in January 2021.
Signed ESPN contract extension / 10-year ESPN anniversary
Marked more than a decade at ESPN (joined 2012); reported signing a contract extension with ESPN in 2022 and celebrating 10 years with the network.
Birth of daughter Kinley
Yates and his wife Chapin welcomed their daughter Kinley in January 2022.
Birth of daughter Palmer
Yates and his wife Chapin welcomed their second daughter, Palmer, in June 2023.
Regular contributor to NFL Live, SportsCenter and ESPN+ Fantasy Show
Continued regular contributions across ESPN platforms including NFL Live, SportsCenter, The Fantasy Show on ESPN+ and annual ESPN Draft coverage (ongoing role milestone).
Continued high-profile ESPN on-air presence
Maintained an expanding role at ESPN across NFL and fantasy football coverage; frequently appears on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Draft coverage, podcasts and social streams.
Estimated net worth public reporting
Media outlets published estimated net worth / salary overviews noting Yates' increased stature at ESPN after more than a decade at the company (figures reported vary widely; estimate provided here).
Published collaborative mock draft with Mel Kiper Jr. (First Draft)
Co-published an alternating mock draft with draft veteran Mel Kiper Jr., offering analysis and projections for the 2025 draft class.
On commentator team for ABC's presentation of the 2025 NFL Draft
Included as part of the commentator team for ABC/ESPN's presentation of the 2025 NFL Draft (April 24–25, 2025).
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