ESPN is planning another “Monday Night Football” pregame shake-up, according to executives with knowledge of the network’s plans.
A year after a complete makeover of the set under the stewardship of Scott Van Pelt, Robert Griffin III’s spot is in jeopardy, while the network is aggressively pursuing retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce for Monday nights.
ESPN is not alone in going after Kelce as NBC, CBS and Amazon Prime Video all have interest.
Meanwhile, Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s part-time role on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” is in limbo, according to executives. Fitzgerald appeared on about one-third of the shows during the season.
His contract was up in February and has not been renewed yet. ESPN informed Fitzgerald that they wanted to see how the rest of their MNF pregame lineup shapes up before making a final decision on a new deal.
Full-timers Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark are expected to return on “Countdown,” alongside Van Pelt. Michelle Beisner-Buck will remain the feature reporter.
While ESPN continues to pursue Bill Belichick, Belichick has told networks he is disinclined to be part of a regular studio show, according to officials briefed on the talks. ESPN could combine with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and NFL Films to secure the legendary coach for a broadcasting role.
While Belichick is sought after, Kelce’s decision is viewed as the linchpin of the NFL TV free-agent season. CBS has several openings on “The NFL Today” with Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms unsigned for next year. James Brown and JJ Watt are inked for the upcoming season, though Watt may continue as a part-timer.
Like NBC, whose studio show is located in Stamford, Conn., CBS’ New York-based location would be convenient for the Philadelphia-based Kelce. ESPN’s Monday pregame basically split its time between the network’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., and being on the road at the site of games.
Last season, ESPN rushed to put together its “MNF Countdown” show where it chose Van Pelt over “NFL Live” host Laura Rutledge for the prime gig. The move was necessitated as Suzy Kolber was let go during last June’s layoff. Another longtime “Countdown” mainstay, Steve Young, was also cut loose during the corporate trimming.
That left Van Pelt and ESPN executives to scramble to put together its team.
Spears is one of the network’s best analysts, with a strong and fun TV presence, while Clark and Van Pelt have a long rapport based on Clark’s appearances on Van Pelt’s late-night “SportsCenter.”
Griffin III had been viewed as a rising star at the network, but he has leveled off, putting him at serious risk of being out on Mondays.
After his NFL career ended, Griffin III did very well in tryouts with Fox Sports and ESPN. He ultimately decided to sign with ESPN. For ESPN, Griffin III appears on “Get Up” and other programming, while also calling college football games.
But change is in the air again, as ESPN continues its renovation of “Monday Night Football.” In recent years, it has added star power in the booth with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, while its alt-cast with the Manning brothers has become a sports cultural sensation.
Now, it wants to bring Van Pelt’s pregame to the next level, with the hopes of landing Kelce.
(Photo of Jason Kelce: David Eulitt / Getty Images)
2024-03-27 09:53:28
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