Peyton Manning Favored to Replace Jason Witten on ESPN MNF Broadcast

• Jason Witten is leaving the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast booth and returning to the NFL
• Peyton Manning, Louis Riddick are among the favorites to replace him
• Warner, Hasselbeck could offer good value on the betting lines

Jason Witten is unretiring from the NFL and heading back to the Dallas Cowboys.

That being the case, it leaves a vacancy on ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast booth that needs to be filled. As of right now, Peyton Manning appears to be the favorite to land that role.

Odds to Replace Witten on ESPN Monday Night Football Broadcast

*Odds taken 2/28

Witten Was Much-Maligned

Few people will miss Witten in the booth. He was often trolled for either mispronouncing names, being silent when he was supposed to offer commentary, or messing up basic idioms.

There was a good chance that Witten would have been replaced regardless. At any rate, a lot of football fans are happy to see a change.

NFL fans rejoice over Jason Witten’s exit from the ‘Monday Night Football’ booth ? pic.twitter.com/QfclkhRW13

— For The Win (@ForTheWin) February 28, 2019

Manning’s Profile Has Grown With ESPN

Manning has been working with ESPN on their ‘Detail’ series, dissecting quarterback play around the league. The series has actually grown in popularity as fans have looked forward to Manning breaking down plays and quarterback decisions – kind of how Jon Gruden used to.

Why Manning would be a good fit is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s a student of the game and he can quickly describe what’s happening, but he’s not as stiff as Witten.

We’ve seen Manning both in commercials and this Detail series make fun of himself, laugh, and be playful. Witten felt like he was trying too hard; Manning would likely be a much better fit.

Value With Warner, Hasselbeck

While Manning is the high-profile name that is likely to get the job, we have to see if he’s into it.

Remember, there’s plenty of travel with Monday Night Football and it doesn’t suit everyone. A couple of other options are Kurt Warner and Matt Hasselbeck, who might be the right fit.

Warner knows the game very well and already works with the NFL Network as an analyst. He also works Monday Night Football on radio for Westwood One and has previously done play-by-play with FOX Sports, so he’s experienced. He would be a safe choice.

Why did Kurt Warner fall like he’s in a Life Alert commercial? ? pic.twitter.com/aIBLgyCHPO

— Adam Lefkoe (@AdamLefkoe) October 19, 2018

As for Hasselbeck, he’s a respected analyst with ESPN on Sunday NFL Countdown, but he’s not much of a splash. He’s a clear speaker who provides intelligent insight. He seems like a safe pick but we haven’t seen him do color before.

Riddick Is A Possibility, But More Of A Longshot

Riddick is among the favorites but I’m not expecting him to be in the booth next year.

ESPN already took a roll of the dice with Witten – a guy who had no broadcast experience – and it didn’t work out very well.

There’s no question that Riddick is arguably the network’s top analyst. He’s informative, entertaining, and often accurate. At the same time, moving him up probably means that they lose him as a quality analyst on a bunch of their shows.

Louis Riddick says the @ChicagoBears are winning the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/b7iuJBjimH

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 28, 2018

I do see a couple of ways where Riddick could get in: (1) they move Booger McFarland into the booth with Joe Tessitore and have Riddick as the analyst. He’d probably be more comfortable in that role; and (2) Manning is going to cost a lot of money. If ESPN doesn’t want to pony up, Riddick will likely cost less.