Is ESPN Gearing Up for a New Look on ‘Monday Night Football’?
Something subtle but potentially significant may have slipped through the cracks during ESPN’s broadcast of the Divisional Round game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. While Joe Buck and Troy Aikman wrapped up their fourth season together on Monday Night Football, a sharp-eyed viewer caught what looked like a test run of a brand-new scorebug-featuring the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, let’s be clear: the Bills and Chiefs weren’t actually playing. This appeared to be a behind-the-scenes graphics test, possibly laying the groundwork for a visual refresh in 2026. ESPN hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but the presence of this alternate scorebug during such a high-profile broadcast has fans and insiders wondering if a new look is coming to Monday Night Football next season.
This wouldn’t be out of step with current trends-NBC Sports, for example, just rolled out a fresh scorebug of their own for the postseason, and they’re set to broadcast Super Bowl 60 on February 8. With ESPN on deck to carry Super Bowl 61 next year, it makes sense that they might be tinkering with their presentation to match the moment.
As for Buck and Aikman, their presence in the booth remains one of the cornerstones of ESPN’s NFL coverage. The duo has been a fixture in primetime since making the jump from Fox Sports in 2022, where they’d called games together since 2001. Aikman is reportedly on a five-year, $90 million deal, and both of their contracts run through the end of the 2026 season-lining up perfectly with ESPN’s Super Bowl broadcast next year.
Meanwhile, over at Fox, Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady are now the network’s top team. They'll be calling the NFC Championship Game next week, continuing Brady’s high-profile transition from the field to the booth.
So while the Texans and Patriots were the ones actually on the field, that brief flash of a new scorebug might have been a glimpse into the future of Monday Night Football. If ESPN is indeed preparing for a visual overhaul, it wouldn’t just be about aesthetics-it would be about setting the stage for a massive 2026 season that ends with the biggest broadcast prize of all: the Super Bowl.