Andrew Marchand said he expects the Monday Night Football booth to consist of just Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland in 2019 in his latest column for The New York Post. Jason Witten leaves an opening after announcing last week that he will return to the Dallas Cowboys for the 2019 season.
Marchand says that adding a third voice to the broadcast isn’t out of the question, in fact he says ESPN “will still make the requisite inquiry into [Peyton] Manning, though the expectation is Manning will stay on the sidelines.” ESPN courted Manning for the gig in 2018 before eventually settling on Witten.
If ESPN does decide to add a third man to the booth, Marchand says one popular name that can be ruled out is Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. “ESPN is hesitant to repeat the mistake of having an inexperienced analyst on such a big stage,” Marchand writes referencing the poor reviews Witten received from fans and critics alike last season.
Some of the names that might be mentioned are the same ones we heard in 2018 when ESPN set out to replace Jon Gruden. Kurt Warner, Jesse Palmer, Louis Riddick and Matt Hasselbeck were all considered at that time. After discussions with broadcasters, agents, and executives, Marchand reports those names will be brought up again should the World Wide Leader in Sports decide to stick with a three-man booth for Monday Night Football in 2019.
