ESPN's top candidate to replace Troy Aikman in the "Monday Night Football" booth is reportedly Peyton Manning, though significant obstacles stand in the way of such a move. According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Manning is ESPN's number one choice to partner with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck once Aikman's contract concludes after Super Bowl LXI.
Manning, however, has a history of turning down previous offers to join a broadcast booth. ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro is still expected to approach Manning to explore his interest in the role. Manning and his production company, Omaha Productions, have a long-term contract with ESPN for the "Manning-Cast," which features him and his brother Eli analyzing "Monday Night Football" games. This arrangement allows them to work from their homes, avoiding the extensive travel required of traditional broadcast analysts. The brothers are slated to cover 12 games this season, in addition to Super Bowl 2027.
Joe Buck recently relocated to Denver, living near Manning, which could facilitate discussions. While Manning is ESPN's preferred choice, Greg Olsen, currently a color commentator for Fox's second broadcast team, is considered a leading contender for the position.
The potential shift comes as Aikman and Buck have reportedly experienced friction in the booth. Buck signed a six-year, $100 million contract extension with ESPN in September to continue with "Monday Night Football." Aikman, in a September interview on the "Sports Media with Richard Deitsch" podcast, expressed that he had anticipated a new contract being finalized and had not heard from ESPN at that point. Aikman and Buck have been broadcast partners for 25 years, having worked together at Fox before both moving to ESPN for "Monday Night Football" in March 2022.