After Jason Witten announced that he is leaving ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” crew to rejoin the Cowboys, oddsmakers quickly began speculating on who may replace Witten in the booth in 2019.
Former Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is the betting favorite (+200) to replace Witten, according to OddsShark.com. He’s not the only former Denver quarterback with odds to join ESPN, however.
Bookmakers have also released odds for Tim Tebow, though he’s a long shot to be Witten’s replacement. Here are the odds for the 10 most likely replacements, courtesy of OddsShark:
1. Peyton Manning +200
2. Louis Riddick +225
3. Greg Olsen +350
4. Kurt Warner +900
5. Matt Hasselbeck +900
6. Boomer Esiason +1200
7. Randy Moss +1400
8. Steve Young +2000
9. Tim Tebow +3300
10. John Madden +1000
(It’s probably worth noting that former Broncos safety Ray Crockett would like to replace Witten, though he’s not among the betting favorites.)
Tebow is a logical candidate for “Monday Night Football” because he already works for the SEC Network, which is owned by ESPN. If he’s serious about pursuing baseball, though, serving as an NFL commentator may not be in the cards — not yet, anyway.
Tebow, 31, was selected by Denver in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft after a decorated college career at Florida. He lasted two years with the Broncos before being traded to the Jets after Peyton Manning signed with Denver in 2012.
Tebow announced in 2016 that he would pursue a career in baseball, and he is currently at spring training with the New York Mets.
