ESPN To Make Change With No. 2 NFL Broadcasting Team

ESPN is expected to replace its No. 2 NFL broadcast team of Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky and Louis Riddick Jr. under terms of its new NFL deal, sources briefed on the plans tell reporters.

According to Andrew Marchand at The Athletic, discussions have identified several candidates for a revamped booth: former Eagles center Jason Kelce has emerged as a dark-horse analyst option, NFL Network’s Kurt Warner is also being considered, and ESPN play-by-play voices Dave Pasch and Mike Monaco are in the mix. Other names, including Bob Wischusen, could surface as executives finalize decisions.

The likely shake-up stems from contract terms that remove “Monday Night Football” doubleheaders from ESPN’s seven additional games and make many of those matchups international. That schedule would limit availability for Fowler — ESPN’s top college play-by-play announcer — and would take Orlovsky and Riddick overseas for studio obligations; both also have college duties. Depending on the final schedule, Fowler, Orlovsky and Riddick could still be used occasionally, but no decision is official.

ESPN’s top NFL team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman remains under five-year contracts valued at a combined $165 million and will call ESPN’s first Super Bowl next February.

This personnel planning comes as ESPN officially assumed control of NFL Network this week under a broader agreement that gives the league a 10 percent stake in ESPN. ESPN says it will treat NFL Network like other conference-branded channels and is not planning major operational changes: executive producer Charlie Yook will stay in place and now report to ESPN EVP Mike McQuade. Sources also say ESPN is interested in retaining insider Ian Rapoport, whose contract expires at month’s end, and will keep NFL Network’s Draft presentation, led by Rich Eisen, intact for April.