Report: ESPN expected to pursue Peyton Manning for MNF with Tony Romo off the market

Report: ESPN expected to pursue Peyton Manning for MNF
Photo credit Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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With Tony Romo locked up for the foreseeable future on a monster deal at CBS, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports that ESPN will look to make another run at courting Peyton Manning for their Monday Night Football analyst vacancy.

ESPN had been rumored to pursuing Tony Romo for the high-profile role, but with Romo re-upping with CBS on a record-setting $17M per year deal, he won't be hitting the open market.

Marchand reports that their first call is likely to be to Peyton Manning, to see "if this is finally the year he wants to try to be an analyst."

ESPN will turn their focus to Manning, who has contributed to their digital platform ESPN+, for the MNF opening.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported last July that ESPN's previous attempt to land Manning was unsuccessful due to his reluctance to commentate on his brother Eli.

With the younger Manning now retired, the timing may now be right for ESPN to reshape their MNF broadcast team.