ESPN seeks Al Michaels trade, Manning deal

ESPN reportedly seeks Michaels trade, record Manning deal

New Orleans, LA - September 9, 2019 - Mercedes-Benz Superdome: The Bus during a regular season Monday Night Football game (Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

Less than a week after CBS locked up Tony Romo in a record-setting deal, ESPN is throwing Hail Marys in an effort to beef up its Monday Night Football team.

ESPN is planning to attempt a trade for NBC NFL play-by-play voice Al Michaels, the New York Post reported Thursday, though talks have yet to begin and there are no indications that NBC would be receptive. Michaels would return to Monday Night Football, where he was the play-by-play voice from 1986 through 2005.

When MNF moved from ABC to ESPN in 2006, Michaels was originally set to continue with the series, reaching an eight-year deal with ESPN in 2005. After his MNF partner John Madden moved to NBC’s new Sunday night package, Michaels asked for and received a trade to NBC, with ESPN parent company Disney receiving rights to the cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in return.

Per the Post, ESPN would pair Michaels with its white whale, retired QB Peyton Manning. Front Office Sports reported Thursday that ESPN is planning to offer Manning a contract in the neighborhood of $18-20 million, which would exceed the record-setting $17 million Tony Romo will make from CBS in his new deal.

ESPN has pursued Manning in back-to-back offseasons since longtime MNF analyst Jon Gruden returned to coaching in 2017, and been rebuffed both times. Last season, it reportedly sought to lure Manning with $10 million per year.

There are no indications that Manning is interested in moving into the broadcast booth. According to a separate Post report this week, he was recently offered a six-year, $10-12 million/year deal from CBS, which was seeking a backup plan if negotiations with Romo went south. He was so reluctant to accept that CBS bailed.

On the play-by-play side, ESPN has had two voices in the four years since Mike Tirico left MNF for NBC in 2016. Tirico is widely believed to be Michaels heir on Sunday Night Football, with the Post reporting that he is expected to take over the lead play-by-play role after NBC’s next Super Bowl telecast in 2022.

[News from NYP 3.2, 3.5, Front Office Sports 3.5 via The Big Lead 3.5]

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Comments 7

Dale Moog says:

7 years ago

ESPN need to try to get Ian Eagle or Kevin Harlen both would be fantastic although very hard to get because each has at least three national and one or two local contracts that would be very hard to break. Harlen is with CBS (NFL NCAAMB) Westwoodone (MNF) TNT (NBA and NCAA Tourney) and the Green Bay Packers local broadcasts. Eagle is with CBS, Westwood One, TNT Tennis Channel plus YES network (Brooklyn Nets) and the Jets pre season games. These are the two best (Younger) national voices in all of sports media they could call NFL NBA NCCA basketball and with Eagle Golf and Tennis they would be great at ESPN. If they could not get them they should go after Gus Johnson. He should be calling NBA and NFL but FOX has him stuck on College and they do not have NBA so he does College Basketball for them
Dale Moog says:

7 years ago

Steve Levy is great on College and is doing the XFL I think he is fine for the one off late MNF game week one. as for Vasgersian he is horrible on Football Fox tried he a few years back and he is not great like when NBC had Bob Costas on NFL he just is not a football guy
esl says:

7 years ago

ESPN signing Al Michaels would be more ridiculous than CBS signing Romo for 17 million a year. Michaels is an all time great broadcaster, but, at 75 they cannot expect him to last more than 3-4 years. ESPN needs some consistency and continuity in the booth. Too many changes. I believe a good solution would be for ESPN go and try and get Kevin Harlan. He does a terrific job on the radio booth and has lots of television experience. He is in his late 50s, so he can give them a good 10-15 years. ESPN should not pay Manning 18-20 million. You cannot justify that, especially for someone who has never broadcast a game. If they can’t get Manning for 10 million, they should move Steve Young into the broadcast booth. He would be terrific.
- Dale Moog says:
  
  7 years ago
  
  He could be the lead NBA voice as well as do Monday night football could do college basketball. He would be very hard to get because he has like 4 different contracts with Westwood one CBS TNT and he does pre season NFL I think for the packers.
Ryan Strnad says:

7 years ago

What about MATT VASGERSIAN for ESPN’s Monday Night Football? Or would that be a problem because he may still be under contract with MLB Network? If I recall, ESPN needed that network’s permission to use him for it’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts. If not him or Al, who else? Steve Levy?
Nate Johnson says:

7 years ago

My comment 12 months ago on here when CBS/NBC traded Super Bowls.

Could be Al Michaels final game and send off (at least with NBC). That’s what I really see in this move. He’s from LA and why not have him call the first real game at the new LA Stadium and their first Super Bowl as well.

I won’t be surprised if in the new deals, assuming ESPN keeps the MNF rights but gets a piece of the Super Bowl rotation pie, that Michaels return to where it begun for him in the NFL which is Monday Night Football.

Michaels seems like a guy that will want to leave on his own terms and not the networks. By 2022, NBC will need to have Tirico as their SNF voice. While the relationship is great (right now), Tirico honestly wants to be the voice of SNF following Michaels, and patience will eventually kick in a few years from now. On ESPN case, Michaels has leverage to takeover whoever the lead voice is in MNF (including Joe Tessitore), because they know Tess could fit right back into College Football while Michaels will bring an already familiar feel and name to the broadcast.
Nate Johnson says:

7 years ago

My thoughts:

1.) The issue is that Al Michaels is 75 years old. ESPN is looking desperate to bringing him in for a short term in order to show the NFL they’re ready to showcase a Super Bowl. That’s desperate. Very desperate. Granted, there was report that the NFL wants ESPN to move on from the Tessitore/McFarland pairing. That’s fair from the NFL because they listen to fans and a majority is not satisfied with the two calling games Nationally on a weekly base so as a partner in contract you have to take action. But again this is overreacting all because Michaels is on his last years calling games and he’s on another network. This would be a quick fix plain and simple and not a long term solution.

On Manning side, if he doesn’t accept this offer then I’m not sure if he’ll ever call games. I understand why ESPN would want him, but I don’t think bringing in Michaels is something ESPN should be in a need to get. I can see Manning be one of those in game analyst that can uplift a play by play person as long as they can take of the minimum. Just as mentioned above, I believe ESPN is doing this to let the NFL know they’re ready to showcase a Super Bowl.

2.) If Michaels doesn’t want to leave SNF right now, I hope he says that publicly and let ESPN know that if you make this trade, I won’t call MNF which would pressure ESPN to close any trade talks. Since when did the TV stations called the shots on commentators, analysts, and other media members to be traded without their consent? ESPN is not looking good doing this. Unless Al Michaels himself feels that the time is right for Tirico to call SNF right now then I can see why ESPN would do this, but I doubt Michaels wants to leave.

3.) Why Michaels don’t want to leave SNF? It’s a top Primetime program on television. He’s working with a well experience and in my opinion the best in game analyst in Cris Collinsworth. He’s worked with Director Drew Esocoff and Producer Fred Gaudelli for 20 seasons. Why go from that to what ESPN has? Major change and possibly a major downgrade even if Peyton Manning comes along.

4.) It’s best that NBC keeps their mouth shut. The report will possibly create a Michaels vs. Tirico storyline. All they need to do is stick to the status quo and that’s let Al Michaels call the 2020 season and 2021 season (yes I do believe there will be a 2021 season) and call the Super Bowl in LA and move on from him and start the Tirico era. Tirico came over to NBC not knowing when Michaels would leave the SNF booth. He’s simply should continue to be patient and wait until his time come and not feel entitled.

5.) If ESPN don’t get Michaels or Manning, then what? My suggestion would be is to figure a way to get Kurt Warner on there. NFLN used then ESPN Matt Millen and Brad Nessler for TNF on seperate occasion. I think the NFLN should give back and let them use Kurt Warner for MNF alone. While Tess and Warner (and maybe Booger) might not sound like a Super Bowl ready commentary pairing, ESPN ought to convince to the NFL that there’s always next season. Let’s remember that when ABC fired Boomer Esiason that they brought in Dan Fouts and Dennis Miller. Fouts wasn’t bad, but Miller was the odd person. Those 2 and Al Michaels was not a match made in heaven. It was smart for ABC just in time for their Super Bowl season in 2002 to bring in John Madden. ESPN should let the NFL know that they’ll have a Super Bowl ready commentary pairing ready whenever they showcase a Super Bowl.

Bottomline, I believe ESPN should understand that they will continue to broadcast MNF and be a part of the Super Bowl rotation whenever they will get a new deal in. ESPN has the money and the platform ready even if the NFL doesn’t see it now. What the NFL sees is that the money they’ll offer which be easy to accept.