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If you’re tired of the traditional ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast format, why not watch the game alongside Peyton Manning and Eli Manning? That’s a choice that football fans will now have some weeks this fall.
The Manning brothers will be the stars of a Monday Night Football megacast that will be airing on ESPN2. And while it was originally believed that the Mannings would be accompanied by a host, it turns out that won’t actually be the case.
Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported that there won’t be a permanent third person to serve as the host alongside the Manning brothers on this broadcast, which will instead focus solely on the former quarterbacks. Peyton, a former Tennessee QB and Pro Football Hall of Famer, and Eli, a former Ole Miss QB and two-time Super Bowl champion, will make their debut Sept. 13, when the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders play the first Monday night game of the 2021 NFL season.
McCarthy reported that ESPN’s Adam Schefter had been a top candidate to serve as the host before the network opted to let the Manning brothers run the broadcast themselves.
“The Mannings are the stars of this show. As brothers they have a natural chemistry. It’s hard to just become a part of that family history,” a source told McCarthy. “It’s supposed to be free-wheeling and unstructured. It will be like you’re sitting at the bar watching the game with the Mannings.”
The Manning brothers won’t be at the games for the broadcasts, as they’ll be watching remotely and having current and former players join in during the virtual format. According to McCarthy, this broadcast will air for 10 games each of the next 3 seasons.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
