Would the NFL game be diminished had Sean McVay and John Lynch left their respective jobs to jump into broadcasting? The Los Angeles Rams would likely be less formidable without McVay on the sidelines. The San Francisco 49ers might not have as impressive a roster without Lynch putting it together.
The Bart Winkler Show‘s Tobi Altizer made that argument while discussing the NFL broadcasting carousel and the massive salaries now being paid for the top analyst positions.
“I don’t know that this is good,” Alitzer said to Bart Winkler. “Because you could start luring — and I think this has happened with officiating — you could start luring good people for the leagues out early to go work in broadcasting because they’ll make more money.”
“What if Sean McVay did leave and go to the booth? Obviously, it’s a limited number of jobs because it’s not like there’s tons and tons of major networks. But what if McVay leaves and goes to the booth? That’s one of the best coaches in the NFL and he leaves.”
Going off Tuesday’s big news of Aaron Rodgers re-signing with the Green Bay Packers and Russell Wilson getting traded to the Denver Broncos, Alitzer asks if we’d see such moves if Rodgers or Wilson decided to take a big broadcasting salary rather than play one or two more years in the NFL.
(Granted, even ESPN or Amazon wouldn’t approach what Rodgers is reportedly being paid in his new contract with the Packers, if reports of a four-year, $200 million deal are true.)
It’s an intriguing question, but how the broadcasting carousel has played out probably shows that younger coaches and executives like McVay and Lynch are going to stay in the league while they still have the energy and competitive drive for their jobs. And top-tier quarterbacks such as Rodgers and Wilson aren’t going to retire if they believe a Super Bowl title is attainable. (Not to mention, the money is just too lucrative.)
Sean Payton left the New Orleans Saints, but admittedly needed a break. (And as of yet, he hasn’t signed on for a broadcasting gig.) Tony Romo jumped to CBS’s No. 1 analyst role when he could’ve played at least one more season. But he was also coming off a back injury that required surgery and limited him to five games in his last two seasons. (Several might point out that Romo shouldn’t be compared to the likes of Rodgers and Wilson, either.)
Also, this offseason broadcasting carousel is a phenomenon unlikely to be repeated for at least a few years. Once Amazon and Fox decide on their top broadcast teams, those positions won’t likely open up for a while. Troy Aikman is signed with ESPN for five years. Sure, there can always be churn. People leave or get fired. Changes can be made. But once this carousel stops, it may not spin again for a while.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
