One of Sean McDonough's most distinguishing qualities in the "Monday Night Football" booth was his proclivity for criticizing the product on the field when warranted. But it may have led to his undoing.
The New York Post's Andrew Marchand reports the NFL "did not like" McDonough's work on the telecast. ESPN announced Friday McDonough will no longer call MNF. He will remain part of the network's college basketball and Masters coverage.
Veteran broadcaster Joe Tessitore, who's been with ESPN and ABC since 2002, will take McDonough's place.
"Over the past two years, as I watched college football on television, I realized how much I missed it," McDonough said in a statement, per the Washington Post. "Being the 'Voice of Monday Night Football' was one of the great honors of my life, but I am grateful for the opportunity to return to the unique traditions, rivalries and pageantry of college football and to tell the stories of the participants. I look forward to reuniting with ESPN's college football team where I have so many close friends in front of and behind the camera."
Earlier this year, ESPN lost its color man Jon Gruden, who was named the Raiders' new head coach for $10 million per year. The WorldWide Leader was pursuing Peyton Manning to fill Gruden's void, but Manning reportedly turned them down. Analyst Louis Riddick has publicly expressed interest in the job.
ESPN pays the NFL $1.1 billion per year to broadcast MNF.
