Who’s going to replace Jason Witten in the MNF booth? Peyton Manning odds-on favorite
Jason Witten is one-and-done as ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” lead analyst.
The longtime Dallas Cowboys tight end is coming out of retirement to return to the field. It begs the question who is going to replace Witten in the broadcast booth?
Oddsmakers have already weighed in, and former standout quarterback Peyton Manning is the odds-on favorite to land the job.
Manning, a five-time NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion, is listed at 2/1 odds, per BetOnline, followed by Louis Riddick (9/4), Greg Olsen (7/2), Kurt Warner (6/1), Matt Hasselbeck (9/1) and Randy Moss (14/1).
Other names on the list include Boomer Esiason (18/1), Steve Young (18/1), Tim Tebow (33/1) and yes... 82-year-old John Madden (100/1).
Witten struggled in his first year of broadcasting, being ripped by viewers on a seemingly weekly basis. ESPN had an odd setup for much of the season with Witten sharing the broadcast booth with play-by-play man Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland serving as an on-field analyst.
In other words, it never seemed to work out as desired. Witten’s transition into the booth wasn’t as smooth as Tony Romo to say the least.
ESPN thanked Witten for his contributions during his only season in the broadcast booth.
“We thank Jason for his many contributions to Monday Night Football and to ESPN over the past year and wish him continued success,” ESPN said in a statement. “We have seen many former coaches and players go into broadcasting before eventually returning to the game they love, so we understand Jason’s desire to return to the Dallas Cowboys.
“In the coming weeks we will determine our MNF plans for the 2019 season.”
