ESPN tried to pry Sean McVay from Rams for Monday Night Football gig

ESPN was determined to find someone flashy for Monday Night Football and targeted Sean McVay. 

Monday Night Football hasn’t been quite the same since Jon Gruden left to coach the Raiders. They’ve been trying different combinations since then with the recent ones being Joe Tessitore and Jason Witten in 2018 and then Tessitore and Booger McFarland in 2019.

Tessitore wasn’t a fit after two years in the booth and McFarland was often riffed on social media for his odd commentary, so ESPN wisely moved on. They’ve really been trying to find that person who’s going to make Monday Night Football exciting again and it appears one of those was Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams.

According to the New York Times, ESPN approached McVay about the gig.

McVay is only 34 years old and accepted the Rams head coaching job when he was just 30, becoming the youngest coach ever in the NFL. He immediately turned the Rams around and in his second year as the head honcho in Los Angeles, led the Rams to the Super Bowl where they ultimately fell to the Patriots.

The news was broken by the New York Times,

"ESPN executives think McVay could be a standout in the booth, somewhat like Jon Gruden. McVay is just 34, has already been to a Super Bowl and is under contract, but a conversation was had.It didn’t happen, but it was left at that if McVay wants to leave coaching ESPN would be interested in having him in the booth."

You have to give some credit to ESPN, as they’ve been trying REALLY hard to get top tier talent into their booth. They reached out to Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and now also McVay apparently.

All three of these men would be terrific gets for ESPN if they had been able to land them, but McVay is only 34 years old and has a lot left in the coaching tank.

McVay would be great in a role like this, but he’s still very young and has done great things as the head coach for the Rams. Maybe if things go downhill in the next few years he could still be an option to look into, but ESPN found their team with Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese, which seems promising. At least more promising than Tessitore and McFarland.

Good for ESPN for trying something bold, but Sean McVay chose wisely.