Peyton Manning Rumors: ESPN Reached Out to Former QB for 'MNF' Role

A few years ago, Tony Romo and Peyton Manning were both star quarterbacks in the NFL.

Now, they have each transitioned into broadcasting stars.

News surfaced Friday that Romo signed a record-breaking, long-term extension to remain an NFL game analyst for CBS at around $17 million per year. As a result, ESPN has pivoted to target Manning for a role on Monday Night Football:

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported Friday that Romo's deal "is for significantly more than five years, which means the total value for Romo's contract will well surpass $100 million." It is the largest-ever contract for a sports analyst, surpassing the $8 million per year John Madden earned two-plus decades ago. 

Marchand then reported Monday that CBS had offered Romo's job to Manning.

Manning, a future Hall of Famer who retired in 2016 after helping the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers, already has a relationship with ESPN, as his 30-episode series Peyton's Places streams on ESPN+. 

The network's Monday Night Football broadcast crew last season featured Joe Tessitore at play-by-play with Booger McFarland alongside him in the booth and Lisa Salters as a sideline reporter.