Shane McMahon’s Son Declan Landed ESPN Internship

Talk about timing. Just as WWE announced its Premium Live Events are leaving Peacock in 2026 and heading to ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer platform, it turns out a McMahon was already behind the scenes at the network.

Declan McMahon, son of Shane McMahon and grandson of Vince and Linda, recently wrapped up a summer internship with ESPN. And in a twist straight out of a wrestling promo, it was Linda McMahon who let the news slip while chatting with Sage Steele.

“My oldest grandson, Declan, uh, is—did have an internship at ESPN. Oh, he did this summer on the 40 Under 40, uh, show. I think that might be what it’s called, but—oh, that’s close. I’m probably not saying it exactly right.”

Linda went on to speak about how experiences like these can lead to serious opportunities:

“An internship can lead often times, especially if you’re, um, you know, like a Declan—he’s a—he’ll be a senior, uh, in college. It could lead to a career after that because you start to make connections and that sort of thing. But—so it’s—internships are so cool. They really are.”

Declan played running back at Indiana University before entering the transfer portal in 2024. And while he’s shown clear interest in sports media, wrestling hasn’t been completely off his radar. In 2023, he mentioned attending a friend’s wrestling practice—hinting he might not be entirely done with the business that made his last name famous.

With WWE striking a massive new deal to move WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and other major events to ESPN’s streaming and TV platforms, Declan’s timing feels almost too poetic. From gridiron to production booth—and maybe one day Gorilla position—his options are wide open.

Think Declan McMahon is setting himself up for a career on the ESPN side of the WWE partnership, or is he just getting started before stepping into the family business? Drop your thoughts in the comments.