Philip Rivers could be ‘Wild Card’ addition to ESPN Monday Night Football booth

Philip Rivers could be stepping out of the pocket and right into the broadcast booth for Monday Night Football next season.

After finishing his career with the Indianapolis Colts, Rivers may not be looking to leave football behind him entirely just yet. ESPN will reportedly speak with Rivers about joining the network as an NFL analyst. ESPN still plans to stick to its trio of Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, and Brian Griese as its Monday Night Football broadcast crew but Philip Rivers could possibly join them if more NFL games are added to the new TV rights deals still being discussed.

Several games postponed this season due to COVID-19 saw rescheduled dates land on Monday nights, a practice that would likely carry over into next season.

How would Rivers transition into broadcasting?

According to the New York Post, the addition of more Monday Night doubleheaders could open up the possibility of Rivers making appearances in the broadcast booth. The Post article also mentions the possibility of Rivers making appearances on other ESPN shows like the long-running ‘SportCenter’ and ‘Get Up!’. As it stands, it still remains to be seen if Peyton Manning has any interest in joining the ESPN broadcast but if he doesn’t, Rivers should absolutely be in the running.

Rivers officially retired this week after the Indianapolis Colts lost to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in their AFC Wild Card Playoff matchup just two weeks ago. Rivers threw for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns and had the Colts in a position to compete to win the game down the stretch.

The eight-time Pro-Bowler would make an excellent addition to the ESPN Monday Night squad, as other notable NFL quarterbacks have often found success in the booth. The fifth overall leader in career passing yards, there aren’t many more qualified for the job than Rivers.