Big Names: Witten, Peter King, Stephen A.

Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten announced Thursday that he is retiring from pro football and will join ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast booth next season. The news was first reported last week by ESPN and the Dallas Morning News. Witten replaces Jon Gruden as the lead analyst on MNF, though it was not immediately clear whether ESPN would go with a two- or three-man booth.

Witten is the second Cowboys player to go straight from the playing field to a network’s #1 broadcast team. Tony Romo pulled the same trick last year on CBS and despite some early doubts about his lack of experience, was well-received. Former Cowboys players are now represented on three of the four #1 NFL broadcast teams, with Troy Aikman still the lead analyst for FOX. Cris Collinsworth, who played for the Bengals during his career, is the lone exception.

Witten turned down a last-minute offer from a rival network that would have allowed him to play the 2018 season and then move into broadcasting in 2019. [ESPN.com 5.3]

Longtime Sports Illustrated NFL writer Peter King is moving to NBC Sports effective July. The news was announced Thursday. King, who has appeared on NBC’s NFL coverage in a part-time role since 2006, will move his weekly Monday NFL column to NBCSports.com and continue to appear on PFT Live and Football Night in America. In addition to NFL coverage, King will also contribute to NBC’s other sports properties, including the Olympics and NHL.

King had been with S.I. since 1989. [NBC Sports PR 5.3]

ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith will host SportsCenter leading into weeknight NBA Finals games this year, it was announced Thursday. Smith previously hosted SportsCenter for a brief period in fall 2015. In addition to the hosting role, Smith will have an expanded presence on the 6 PM ET SportsCenter during the NBA conference finals and NBA Finals. [ESPN PR 5.3]