Report: ESPN wants to acquire Al Michaels from NBC...

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for a "dream" Monday Night Football booth with Peyton Manning

https://nypost.com/2020/03/05/espn-p...eyton-manning/

Even at age 75, Sunday Night Football's Michaels is considered the best NFL play-by-play announcer. Former ESPN Monday Night Football broadcaster Mike Tirico joined NBC in 2016 as Michaels' successor-in-waiting. The New York Post's Andrew Marchand reports that Michaels and Manning would form a "dream booth" that would give ESPN leverage in its upcoming NFL rights negotiations. He adds that ESPN is also considering former Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers. Monday Night Football's current team of Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland is considered lackluster.

Report: ESPN may offer Peyton Manning $20 million a year to join Monday Night Football

Front Office Sport reports that ESPN would be willing to top Romo's groundbreaking $18 million-per-year salary to get Manning in the booth as the lead analyst for Monday Night Football. The $20 million figure would top the $19.2 million Manning earned in his last season in the NFL in 2015. ALSO: Tony Romo's $18 million/year deal shows that networks will pay big in next TV rights deal.

NBC Sports turns down ESPN's offer to trade for Al Michaels

Michaels, whom Disney famously traded to NBC for the rights to Oswald the Rabbit, won't be serving as announcer at ESPN's Monday Night Football. The New York Post reported last week that ESPN wanted Michaels to form a "dream team" with Peyton Manning for the venerated TV franchise. “We look forward to Al completing his contract and calling Sunday Night Football games on NBC,” an NBC spokesperson tells The Post.