No Tony Romo, no Al Michaels. Now, no Peyton Manning, according to a New York Post report, for Monday Night Football.
Andrew Marchand of The Post reported Monday the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback has rebuffed an offer from ESPN to step into the MNF booth as an analyst.
Sources say the overriding factor was whether Manning finally wanted to enter the broadcast booth and commit to the weekly schedule in the fall. The answer remains no.
Manning has declined to be an MNF analyst on multiple occasions, turning down basically every network since he retired from the NFL in 2016.
ESPN and Manning’s broadcast agent, Sandy Montag, declined comment.
Where does that leave ESPN? Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland have been heavily criticized in their two seasons on MNF. The network has not said whether that team will return.
The report indicated the coronavirus pandemic could stall any change for a year. If that happens, CBS/TNT/YES’ Ian Eagle and Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt could come into the picture as play-by-play voices.
ESPN has discussed a team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick as a possibility. The trio called the second half of the Monday Night doubleheader last year. Levy and Griese currently do college games together.