ESPN is in talks to serve up even more Pat McAfee on “Monday Night Football” this season.
A McAfee “Monday Night Football” alt-cast is on the horizon if the league grants ESPN approval, according to sources briefed on the move who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
The potential for a McAfee “Monday Night” alt-cast comes after Wednesday’s official announcement that McAfee will be a panelist on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown,” adding to his duties that already include his daily talk show and “College GameDay.”
The new roles are part of McAfee’s negotiations with ESPN that The Athletic reported in June could end up in the $60 million-$65 million per year range. The two sides are going through a checklist of points, and when agreed upon, they will begin immediately.
Peyton and Eli Manning’s alt-cast will remain unchanged regardless of how the NFL rules on the McAfee broadcast. The brothers will be on ESPN2 for ESPN’s opener between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14. Peyton’s Omaha Productions has a long-term deal with ESPN into the 2030s.
If the NFL approves, McAfee and his team would likely do games on ESPN2 in the weeks when the Mannings aren’t airing. The Mannings are scheduled to analyze 12 games plus the Super Bowl this season. McAfee could do around eight games, though the exact number is not yet known.
With Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on ESPN/ABC each week, the network wanted more consistency with its ESPN2 alt-casts. The Mannings are not on each Monday, creating confusion for viewers.
If the alt-casts go through, McAfee could be on ESPN or ESPN2 for nearly seven hours some Mondays during the season.
The league requires approval for all alt-casts. In some cases, it just approves, while the NFL can also ask for an added fee. ESPN pays around $2.7 billion a year to the league. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is said to be a fan of McAfee, evidenced by Goodell’s appearance on McAfee’s program.
McAfee has done alt-casts for years, including the college football national championship. He has had free rein to roam the sidelines. The NFL is generally more restrictive about letting non-game personnel near the field than college, so it is possible, if the league approves, the McAfee alt-cast looks a little different than the college ones.
McAfee’s best-performing alt-cast came on New Year’s Day in 2025 when he and his team earned 2.4 million viewers for the Ohio State-Oregon game.
