The Hall of Fame quarterback joins a growing list of candidates for the ESPN analyst job once Aikman's contract expires after Super Bowl LXI.
Drew Brees wants in on the Monday Night Football booth. Asked directly by Front Office Sports whether he would consider replacing Troy Aikman on ESPN's top broadcast if Aikman departs, Brees didn't hesitate. "Of course," he said, laughing.
Aikman's ESPN deal runs out after Super Bowl LXI in February, and the speculation over his successor alongside play-by-play man Joe Buck has turned into a crowded field. Brees joins a list that already includes former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Fox colleague Greg Olsen, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Rams coach Sean McVay. Brees currently works for Fox Sports, so any move to ESPN would require him to leave that role.
The timing is notable given Aikman's own recent on-air riffing about Brees. During a Monday night broadcast featuring a rough outing from Carson Wentz, Aikman brought up Brees unprompted, saying he had heard the former Saints quarterback was considering an on-field comeback and joking that Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell would sign him immediately. Whether that was a setup for Brees's broadcasting ambitions or just Aikman filling air time, the two Hall of Famers are now linked in the same storyline, one on the field hypothetically, the other in the booth for real.