ESPN is making big changes to its Monday Night Football booth once again following an offseason that saw the network strike out on all the top talent.
According to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, Booger McFarland and Joe Tessitore will not return to the Monday Night Football broadcast for the 2020 season. While ESPN hasn’t yet found their replacements, the network is expected to find successors already working 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 both available and listening to offers, ESPN set its sights on landing a top broadcaster for the MNF gig.
When CBS re-signed Romo to be its lead NFL analyst, making him the highest-paid NFL broadcaster ever, ESPN turned its focus to Manning. The network was reportedly preparing a massive offer for the 44-year-old and even planned to trade for NBC’s Al Michaels. Shortly after NBC rejected ESPN’s request, Manning turned down ESPN.
ESPN also 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 broadcast, ESPN will have to sort through its options within the network to take over Monday Night Football. 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.