5 possible replacements for Jon Gruden on Monday Night Football

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

5 of 6

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 12: Host Peyton Manning speaks onstage at The 2017 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images) /

2. Peyton Manning

Speaking of a person who could walk in and replicate Tony Romo’s success, former Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning would be an absolute smash hit in the booth. It’s unknown at the moment if he would be interested but there would be very few that could match his mix of NFL experience and media savvy. Manning owns quite a few NFL records and sees the game in a way that very few people ever have. Manning would surely excel at breaking down the defense or the offense for the audience.

There are unlimited ways Manning could choose to go with his career nowadays. It’s interesting that Manning stopped playing mostly because his body couldn’t perform in the same way as he was accustomed to. His mind is as sharp as ever and when someone plays as long as Manning did, he has to miss the game on some level. He’s been rumored as a candidate for some front office jobs for certain teams. If Manning felt that he wasn’t quite ready for that or wasn’t interested, he could get back near the game and help viewers understand the game better than ever before. It would be a great chance for even the casual fan to learn a ton about the NFL and football in general. It’s hard to think of a former player that would be a more natural fit.

Home/NFL Offseason