Report: Peyton Manning a Likely Target for 'MNF' After Tony Romo's CBS Contract

With Tony Romo poised to remain as an NFL game analyst for CBS Sports, ESPN could reportedly target another former superstar quarterback to join its Monday Night Football crew. 

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN has "alternative plans" about potentially redoing its broadcast crew for Monday Night Football with Peyton Manning "likely" to receive a call from the network:

"The first call is likely to be to Peyton Manning, asking if this is finally the year he wants to try to be an analyst.

"With the money Disney was planning to offer Romo and with what Romo is being paid by CBS, Manning would have to listen. If Manning says no, ESPN would have to move to Plan C. ESPN was thinking big with Romo and the Super Bowl, but CBS had the initial foresight to sign Romo—and they refused to let him go."

Marchand reported Romo re-signed with CBS to become the highest-paid sports analyst in television history with a deal valued at more than $17 million per year. 

Romo's contract with CBS was set to expire next week, with Marchand previously reporting that ESPN was preparing to spend "crazy money" to lure the former Dallas Cowboys star away from the broadcast network. 

Per Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, Manning turned down an offer to join the Monday Night Football booth last year because he didn't want to call games involving his brother, Eli Manning, or former teammates and friends. 

At the Manning Passing Academy in June 2019, Robinson noted that Peyton told reporters "when Eli stops playing, it will be different."

Eli announced his retirement from the NFL on Jan. 24. 

ESPN used a two-man booth for Monday Night Football during 2019. Joe Tessitore served as the play-by-play broadcaster, with former NFL defensive lineman Booger McFarland as the color commentator. 

Manning, who retired after the 2015 season, has worked for ESPN since 2018 breaking down current NFL players on the ESPN+ series Detail.