ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” booth will have a totally new look next season, but it won’t include Peyton Manning, nor its most-recent play-by-player, Sean McDonough.
Sources said Manning, the most sought-after NFL television free agent of the winter, has passed on calling games on Monday night, while ESPN has decided to drop McDonough from its top NFL team.
Joe Tessitore is expected to replace McDonough as the voice of Monday Night Football, sources told The Post. Tessitore never has called an NFL game. ESPN did not make Tessitore part of the McDonough announcement.
The Post reported last month ESPN was considering a total reboot of its most prized and expensive booth, which has now cost McDonough his gig. McDonough essentially will swap football gigs with Tessitore, who was the No. 2 voice on college football.
McDonough will move to colleges from the pros in the fall, calling top games during the regular season and a playoff semifinal on TV. He also will continue to call the national championship on radio.
Meanwhile, FOX is still in play for Manning’s service as its lead game analyst on its new “Thursday Night Football” package. ESPN and FOX both made Manning their No. 1 target this offseason.
FOX continues a concerted effort to turn Thursday night into a bigger prime time event than ESPN’s Monday night and hopes the 41-year-old Manning can be the central part.
FOX has broached the idea of having the face of NBC, Mike Tirico, call games with Manning, as well as adding its current lead game analyst, Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, to its pre-game show.
Sources have told The Post they thought Manning would prefer Thursdays to Mondays, because it would not require working the weekend, as announcers usually show up two days before a game. FOX’s 11-game schedule is shorter than ESPN’s 19 games (which includes the Pro Bowl and two exhibitions).
Without Manning, ESPN has a big hole and a big decision on Monday nights, which was once the most prestigious booth in all sports with the likes of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Al Michaels working it. Recently MNF has been downgraded in large part due to the mediocre schedule the NFL gives ESPN in spite of the network paying $1.9 billion per year.
Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss and Louis Riddick will be considered. Outside of Bristol, ESPN could go after Kurt Warner and, though a longshot, Brett Favre can’t be entirely ruled out.
ESPN could go to a three-man team and try to have the smartest booth instead of the most famous. With new ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro added this week, it would seem to be wide-open.
Meanwhile FOX’s lead announcer, Joe Buck, would be an obvious choice to pair with Manning, but he is too tied up with his Sunday NFL responsibilities, the MLB playoffs and golf to do Thursdays, which would also require practice games to get Manning accustomed. FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt could also be an option.
Tirico and Manning have a good relationship, but it is still early if NBC — who appointed Tirico to replace Bob Costas on the Olympics — would allow him to do it since he is in the midst of a long-term deal.
Tirico is set to replace Michaels on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” but Michaels, 73, has shown no signs of retiring.