ESPN Unveils 'Monday Night Football' Team with Jason Witten, Booger McFarland

ESPN announced Thursday that Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters will serve as the broadcast team for Monday Night Football during the 2018 season.

Tessitore will replace Sean McDonough as the play-by-play announcer, and Witten will replace Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden as the lead analyst.

McFarland was added as a field-level analyst, while Salters will conduct on-field interviews and provide in-game updates.

Earlier in the month, Witten retired after a 15-year playing career as a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. He ranks fourth in NFL history with 1,152 receptions and is a likely Hall of Famer after being named to 11 Pro Bowls.

McFarland has been with ESPN since 2014, primarily as a college football analyst.

He spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts as a defensive tackle, winning a pair of Super Bowls.

With McFarland, ESPN is taking a page out of Fox's playbook, as former NFL defensive tackle Tony Siragusa was an on-field analyst until 2016.

ESPN's senior vice president of event and studio production Stephanie Druley said the following regarding the new announce team:

"Our new Monday Night Football team shares a passion and respect for the game that will be evident to fans. "oe brings an unrivaled excitement to each broadcast through his play-by-play style. Jason leaves the game with the respect of the entire league. His knowledge and insight will quickly make him one of the most respected analysts in football.

"Booger's ability to share candid opinions and insightful observations has made him one of our best analysts. Together, with Lisa, our Emmy-nominated reporter, this team will deliver a fantastic broadcast. We are thrilled to introduce this new team to fans as we begin the latest chapter in MNF's storied history."

The crew's first regular-season game together will come in Week 1 when Gruden and the Oakland Raiders host the Los Angeles Rams in the second game of a doubleheader.

ESPN has yet to announce who will call the first game between the New York Jets and Detroit Lions.