Drew Brees isn’t hiding it: if ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” seat opens up, he wants a shot.
With Troy Aikman’s future on the broadcast looking less certain, Brees told Front Office Sports that he would “of course” be interested in taking over the role. Aikman and play-by-play partner Joe Buck are in the middle of their 25th season together, and after moving from Fox Sports to ESPN in 2022, their next step has become a real talking point.
Buck already locked in his ESPN future with a September extension reportedly worth around $108 million. Aikman, though, has not received an offer to return after the season when his contract expires, according to The Athletic. That uncertainty has only fueled the speculation around one of the biggest jobs in sports television.
The chatter picked up even more after a reported heated spat in the booth before the Oct. 12 Monday night game between the Bills and Rams. Since then, viewers have been combing through the broadcasts for signs of tension, and the possibility of a change has only grown.
Brees, for his part, made clear he’d welcome the opportunity.
“At the end of the day, I aspire to be the best at what I’m pursuing,” Brees said. “I love broadcasting, and I love my team. And I love being able to broadcast games every week.”
Right now, Brees is on Fox’s No. 3 broadcasting team with Adam Amin, a spot he landed in 2025 after the network cut ties with Mark Sanchez following Sanchez’s arrest on a felony battery charge. He’s currently behind the Kevin Burkhardt-Tom Brady and Joe Davis-Greg Olsen booths on Fox’s depth chart, which makes a jump to “Monday Night Football” a major step up.
“Again, that’s what I love every week is the opportunity to talk about it, communicate it,” Brees said. “But we’re all aspiring to be the best that we can at it.”
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Saints May Have Found An Unexpected Answer In The Backfield
Audric Estime arrived in New Orleans as a waiver claim after being let go by Cleveland, and he wasted little time making himself part of the conversation in the Saints backfield. With injuries thinning the group, Estime handled a heavy workload in the overtime win and finished as the teams leading rusher, giving the offense a steadier presence than it had been able to count on in recent weeks.
He also chipped in as a receiver and, more importantly, showed he could shoulder a meaningful role when the Saints needed one. With Carolina up next, Estime suddenly looks like a real candidate to carry the load again, which is a notable development for a team still sorting out its running back picture. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Rookies Costly Mistake Led To A Bigger Moment Late
Barion Browns afternoon against the Browns had the kind of early miscue that can stick with a rookie return man. After reversing field twice on a punt return, the Saints receiver coughed up the ball, a mistake that could have sent a young player into the background for the rest of the game. Instead, quarterback Tyler Shough made a point of encouraging Brown on the sideline, keeping the moment from defining the day.
Browns response mattered even more. He stayed involved on special teams and later delivered a pair of punt returns that gave New Orleans a much better field position, including one that helped set up a go-ahead touchdown. For a rookie still learning the speed and pressure of the league, it was a reminder that one mistake does not have to be the last word. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Have A Real NFC South Opening They Cant Waste
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For a team trying to build momentum, this is the kind of game that can change the mood around a season. The Saints will have to handle Carolinas playmakers on defense and avoid letting a winnable division matchup slip away, because opportunities like this do not come around often in a crowded NFC South. [Read more 🡒]