Eli Manning has surfaced as a possible answer for ESPN if Troy Aikman’s run on Monday Night Football comes to an end.
Aikman’s future is still unsettled, with his contract set to expire after Super Bowl LXI in February. He has already said he expects to become a free agent, leaving his next step very much in play. At the same time, Joe Buck has locked in a six-year, $108 million extension with ESPN, creating a new wrinkle around the network’s top NFL booth.
The speculation has only picked up after reports that Aikman and Buck argued before last week’s Bills-Rams game. Aikman has also acknowledged there was tension tied to their contract situations.
ESPN’s ManningCast is part of why Eli Manning’s name is now in the mix. The alternate broadcast was created after Peyton Manning turned down an invitation to join the main Monday Night Football booth, and it features Peyton and Eli watching games together while offering their commentary from afar.
But Peyton’s status could become a factor of its own. Dan Patrick has reported that the Indianapolis Colts reached out to him about their front-office opening after Chris Ballard was fired, though FOX 59 reporter Mike Chappell disputed that report. If Peyton were to leave the ManningCast, ESPN would have to decide whether the show can survive without the brother who has been at its center.
That possibility is why Awful Announcing’s Sam Neumann has floated Eli as a replacement for Aikman. “Greg Olsen is still the favorite to replace Troy Aikman, but if Peyton takes the Colts job, ESPN might find its answer in the other Manning,” Neumann writes.
Neumann also pointed out that a Buck-Eli booth might seem subdued at first glance, but ESPN’s top NFL pairing has long leaned on polish and chemistry rather than sheer volume. He noted that Buck and Aikman drew 23.2 million viewers in Week 1, and argued that Buck’s calm style would fit with a larger personality next to him.
Eli would bring experience from six seasons on the ManningCast, but a full-time TV job would be a different kind of assignment than the part-time setup he has had so far. There is also the matter of his own past comments, since he has said he never wanted to become a broadcaster.
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