Report: Peyton Manning Won't Join ESPN's 'Monday Night Football' Broadcast Team This Season

ESPN had reportedly hoped that Peyton Manning would replace Jason Witten on its Monday Night Football broadcast team.

Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning will not be joining ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team this season, according to Sporting News' Michael McCarthy.

ESPN reportedly viewed Manning as a potential replacement on MNF for Jason Witten, who announced in January that he was ending his retirement to return to the Cowboys after spending one season as a part of MNF's broadcast team.

Per McCarthy, "barring a miracle," Manning will not be in the booth. Instead, he will host ESPN's five-part, 30-episode series called "Peyton's Places," which debuts on ESPN+ in July.

Manning, who retired from the NFL in 2016 following a 17-year career, has previously been courted by ESPN for MNF before. In February 2018, it was reported that the five-time MVP had been approached by ESPN following Jon Gruden's departure from the MNF booth. FOX reportedly gauged Manning's interest for a primetime game analyst gig, too.