Replacing Witten

It only took Jason Witten a few months and tons of criticism to realize he was better at playing football than talking about it.  So, he has done us all a favor by unretiring and resuming his future Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys.  As a result, we'll mercifully be spared any more of his painful Monday Night Football "commentary."

Which also means ESPN once again has to rejuggle the MNF booth.  Hopefully this time they do it a little better.  Because everyone knows the whole Witten and Booger McFarland thing didn't work.  They were probably going to make a change anyway.  And I can't help but think that, even though Witten said the decision to return to the Cowboys was 100 percent his own, he received a gentle nudge out the door.

They could always just go back to a two-man crew and move Booger up to the booth.   That also seemed like it was going to happen regardless.  Because as bad as Witten was, Booger's stupid bunker-thingy on the field was just as terrible.  It was obtrusive and it made Lisa Salters (the best member of that crew) completely unnecessary.

Anyway, it's not like Booger being on the field added anything.  So I think he moves to the booth regardless.  But Booger, while much better than Witten, isn't exactly a great analyst either.  Besides, he doesn't have the name recognition or Wow! factor to be the solo (or lead) analyst on one of the NFL's signature properties. 

Especially after CBS hit a home run with Tony Romo, they need to hit their own with Jason Witten's replacement.  With that in mind, here are some ideas for possible replacements...

Peyton Manning -- Ever since he retired, he's been the Holy Grail.  All of the networks want him, and Peyton will have his choice when and if he ever decides to begin his broadcasting career.  ESPN made the call last year, but Peyton turned them down and they hired Witten instead.  Will he change his mind when they call him again?  If he wants it, the job is his.

Steve Young -- He already works for ESPN, so it would be easy to move him from Monday Night Countdown to the booth.  Although, Young's been a studio analyst for so long, I wonder if he'd want to make the switch.  Because I'm not sure if he's ever been a game analyst before, and there's definitely a difference.  Plus, he might not be a splashy enough name for them.  I think he'd do a good job if given the chance, though.

Charles Woodson -- Like Young, Woodson already works for ESPN.  He's new enough to the Monday Night Countdown crew that it would be easy to move him to the booth.  He's also not that far removed from his playing career, so he's still a familiar name for the fans.

Rex Ryan -- Another in-house candidate, he could be their new Gruden.  Coaches see the game differently than players, and it's always interesting to hear that perspective.  It's what made Gruden so good on MNF for all those years.  He's done the other game of that Week 1 doubleheader pretty much since joining ESPN, so we've already seen him in action.

Jay Feely -- Hiring a former kicker as a lead game analyst would be unorthodox for sure.  But Feely has proven capable.  He does like the No. 7 game when CBS has one, but he spends most of his time on the main crew as the "kicking game analyst" talking about wind conditions, etc.  It's definitely an interesting approach.  He probably wouldn't be the lead candidate for the MNF gig.  But he shouldn't be discounted for being a kicker, either.

Joe Thomas -- I would've suggested Andrew Whitworth had he not decided to play another year with the Rams.  So instead I'll go with another offensive tackle...future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas.  He missed most of 2017, then retired, so he's essentially two years removed from playing.  You could tell throughout his career that Thomas was destined to become either a coach or a broadcaster, so here's the opportunity to kick-start that broadcasting career.

Tony Gonzalez -- Other than Peyton, he's probably the biggest name they can get.  And, unlike the last tight end they hired, Gonzalez actually has broadcasting experience.  He was on The NFL Today for three years before leaving CBS for FOX's pre-pregame show.  I have no idea what his contract status is, but if there's a clause that lets him move, it could be worth the risk for ESPN.

Kurt Warner -- If they can't get Peyton Manning, I think Kurt Warner would be the best possible alternative.  He currently works for NFL Network, so his contract status might prevent it, but Warner would be great.  When he does those December Saturday games with Mike Tirico, it leaves you wondering what if?  What if Warner was a full-time game analyst instead of spending so much time in the studio?

Whatever ESPN ends up doing, they know they have to find someone better than new/old Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten.  Although, seeing as the bar has been set incredibly low, that shouldn't be too hard.