Having struck out on its prized free agent target, Fox Sports is going with plan B.
Free agent NFL QB Jay Cutler auditioned with Fox Sports last week for an on-air role, ESPN.com reported Thursday. Fox has been seeking a replacement for John Lynch on its #2 broadcast team and initially pursued then-Cowboys QB Tony Romo, who instead signed with CBS.
Like Romo, Cutler would be a broadcasting neophyte ascending to one of the most prominent roles in television. Yet he would almost certainly face less scrutiny in his rookie season. The NFL on FOX “B” team rarely works games that go to a majority of U.S. TV markets and will not call a playoff game again until 2019.
It should be noted that though Cutler is “leaning” toward retirement per ESPN, his football career is not officially over. His agent, who only handles his on-the-field exploits, told NFL.com that Cutler “wants to play football and would play if the right offer came along.”
If Fox Sports does not acquire Cutler, it may have to consider looking in-house for a Lynch replacement. Its third string analyst, Daryl Johnston, used to be on the network’s “B” team but was demoted (along with partners Kenny Albert and Tony Siragusa) in 2013. After Johnston, the network’s game analysts last season were Charles Davis, Ronde Barber, Chris Spielman, David Diehl, and a rotation of other analysts. Among them, only Davis has experience on a top-tier broadcast team, having served as the network’s lead college football analyst until last season.
(Thu. news from ESPN.com 5.4, NFL.com 5.4)
