ESPN is making big changes to its "Monday Night Football" broadcasting team following an offseason in which the network missed out on all the top talent.
According to Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, Booger McFarland and Joe Tessitore will not return to the "Monday Night Football" broadcast for the 2020 season.
While ESPN hasn’t announced their replacements, the network is expected to find successors from inside the building.
Many were expecting ESPN to make a significant change to their top broadcast this offseason. At a time when Tony Romo and Peyton Manning were available and listening to offers, ESPN set its sights on landing a top talent for the MNF gig.
When CBS re-signed Romo to be its lead NFL analyst, making him the highest-paid broadcaster ever, ESPN turned its focus to Manning. The network was reportedly preparing a massive offer for the 44-year-old former quarterback and even proposed a trade for NBC’s Al Michaels. Shortly after NBC rejected ESPN’s request, Manning turned down ESPN.
ESPN also reportedly met with Jay Cutler and representatives for Drew Brees this offseason, but Brees signed with NBC and is expected to have a huge role following his NFL career.
Now with Tessitore and McFarland taken off the MNF broadcast, ESPN will have to sort through its options within the network. On Wednesday, the New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand reported ESPN could be looking at Steve Levy for the play-by-play gig, with Dan Orlovsky or Louis Riddick as potential candidates to become the lead analyst.
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