ESPN is planning further changes before Monday Night Football games, according to executives familiar with the company's plans.
A year after the set was completely revamped under coach Scott Van Pelt, Robert Griffin III's spot is in jeopardy, while the station announced Monday night that the retired Philadelphia Eagles is actively pursuing center Jason Kelce.
ESPN isn't the only team chasing Kelce, with NBC, CBS and Amazon Prime Video interested.
Meanwhile, Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's part-time role on ESPN's “Monday Night Countdown” has stalled, executives said. Fitzgerald appeared in about a third of the shows during the season.
His contract expired in February and has not yet been renewed. ESPN told Fitzgerald that he would like to see how the rest of the MNF pregame lineup shapes up before making a final decision on his new contract.
Full-timers Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark are expected to return to “Countdown” along with Van Pelt. Michelle Beisner-Bach will continue as feature reporter.
ESPN continues to pursue Bill Belichick, but Belichick has told the networks he has no intention of appearing on regular studio programming, according to people briefed on the talks. ESPN could partner with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions and NFL Films to secure the legendary coach as a broadcaster.
While Belichick is sought after, Kelce's decision is seen as a cornerstone of the free agent season on NFL TV. CBS plans to have Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms, who is unsigned next year, appear on “The NFL Today” several times. James Brown and JJ Watt are set to play next season, but Watt may continue as a part-timer.
The location of CBS' New York base would be convenient for Kelce, who is based in Philadelphia, as well as NBC, whose studio programming is based in Stamford, Conn. ESPN's Monday pregame is typically split between the network's headquarters in Bristol, Conn., and a trip to the game venue.
Last season, ESPN rushed to build its “MNF Countdown” show and chose Van Pelt over “NFL Live” host Laura Rutledge for the prime gig. The move was necessary after Susie Kolber was fired during a layoff last June. Steve Young, another longtime “Countdown” mainstay, was also fired during the corporate trim.
That left Van Pelt and ESPN executives scrambling to put the team together.
Spears is one of the network's best analysts with a strong and entertaining television presence, and Clark and Van Pelt have a long relationship based on Clark's appearance on Van Pelt's late-night show “SportsCenter.” Building relationships.
Griffin III was seen as the station's rising star, but he has struggled and is at serious risk of missing Monday.
After his NFL career ended, Griffin III performed well in tryouts with Fox Sports and ESPN. He ultimately decided to sign with ESPN. On ESPN, Griffin III appears on “The Get Up” and other shows, as well as appearing at college football games.
But change is in the air once again as ESPN continues to revamp “Monday Night Football.” In recent years, Booth's star power has increased with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, and his alternate cast with the Manning brothers has become a sports culture sensation.
Now they want to take Van Pelt's pre-game to the next level and bring in Kelce.
(Photo by Jason Kelce: David Urit/Getty Images)
