Troy Aikman and Joe Buck are on the call for the Oct. 19 edition of “Monday Night Football” between the undefeated San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Commanders.
The drama will not only exist on the field, however. ESPN’s broadcast booth will be under the microscope after Front Office Sports reported last week
that the longtime announcing duo got into an argument in the booth before the Oct. 12 “MNF” game between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams.Buck agreed to a contract extension with ESPN last month, but Aikman remaining unsigned beyond Super Bowl 61 has become a point of contention between the two – who consider one another the closest of friends. During a local Dallas radio station appearance Thursday Oct. 15, Aikman essentially
confirmed the FOS story and said that he looked forward to being a "free agent" at the end of the season.
If this does indeed mean that Buck and Aikman are splitting after 25 years together, then ESPN once again has to address its “MNF” booth and Buck’s future broadcast partner. Here are six (non-Pat McAfee) candidates.
Greg Olsen
Olsen has to be considered the favorite at this point. His contract with FOX expires at the end of this season. The former tight end has called the Super Bowl (before being demoted for Tom Brady). His voice is No. 1-booth quality, he is in tune with the bigger trends of the game and can incorporate storylines fans of both teams – and beyond – want to hear discussed during a game.
Sean McVay
Were the Los Angeles Rams head coach to make a move to the broadcast booth – and this is merely reading the tea leaves – it would likely be for Amazon’s Prime Video and “Thursday Night Football.” But if McVay actually becomes a free agent for the television world, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro surely will at least have a meeting with the Super Bowl champion.
Kirk Herbstreit
Keep it in the ESPN family! Herbstreit just signed his extension with Prime Video for “TNF,” but there’s a world in which a “TNF” shakeup (outlined above) affects Herbie. The hang-up would actually be the schedule. With Herbstreit still prioritizing “College GameDay” and his Saturday college football call, his preparation for Monday night would be inhibited. Nonetheless, Herbstreit is a company man.
Kurt Warner
When ESPN took over NFL Network, it gained one of the game’s more underrated analysts in Warner. He has been the full-time “MNF” analyst for Westwood One (national radio) since 2018. The Pro Football Hall of Famer carries obvious pedigree as well. He has name recognition and can speak “QB.” Warner has already teamed with Jason Kelce and Dave Pasch for television broadcasts, calling the NFL's first two games in London this season.
Jason Kelce
Kelce is still a novice in the booth – referring to the Philadelphia Eagles as "we" is one example – but he will always have an X-factor as an entertainer. The “MNF” booth without a third microphone might prove to be too tall an assignment for someone who does his best work freelancing. But if ESPN wants star power to replace Aikman, they already have one Kelce on their roster.
Travis Kelce
Only Travis Kelce is capable of answering why he would be anything other than a loyal, devoted husband once his playing days end. But the Kansas City Chiefs tight end will always have a place in the rumor mill for these types of high-profile jobs. Whether he has any interest or is any good? Those are post-hire problems for ESPN. Plus, Buck loves a good laugh and would be ideal for Travis in that regard.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Kelce and 5 more candidates to replace Troy Aikman on 'MNF'
