ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro is expected to pitch Peyton Manning on joining Joe Buck in the booth, though insiders think Greg Olsen is the more likely replacement for Troy Aikman.
ESPN has a vacancy in its Monday Night Football booth after Troy Aikman's departure, and according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Peyton Manning is the network's top choice to fill it. That does not mean he is the favorite to actually get the job.
Marchand writes that ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro will likely call Manning directly to pitch him on pairing up with Joe Buck. There is a convenient real estate angle here too: Buck recently made Denver his primary residence, putting him about five minutes from Manning, which would make for an easy carpool if this all comes together.
Despite being the top choice, Marchand stops short of calling Manning the favorite for the gig, with Greg Olsen believed to be the more likely option to land the role.
For now, ESPN's search continues, with Pitaro expected to make his pitch to Manning while the network weighs whether its preferred candidate is actually a realistic one.