ESPN to Reportedly Offer Tony Romo Record-Breaking Contract to Join NFL Broadcast

ESPN is looking to make changes to their Monday Night Football broadcast and it looks like the network is targeting the most popular NFL analyst right now. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, ESPN is getting ready to offer Tony Romo a monster contract to join the NFL broadcast. It has been reported the contract could be worth between $10 and $14 million per year, which would be more than what he made as a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in terms of annual salary.

“If signed by ESPN, Romo could succeed Booger McFarland as the analyst on Monday Night Football’” McCarthy wrote. Romo could also potentially quarterback ESPN’s NFL game coverage if parent Disney acquires a Sunday afternoon game package from rival Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and NBC Sports during the next round of NFL TV negotiations in 2020-2021.”

Romo began his broadcasting career after he retired from the NFL in 2017. He became an instant hit as he showed enthusiasm and the ability to predict plays. Romo’s contract is up after the 2019 season comes to an end and while he didn’t talk about his contract, he told Front Office Sports he loves what’s he’s doing with CBS right now.

“I love football,” he said last year. “I love working for CBS. I love the fact that I get to be an analyst doing football games.”

Because of Romo’s popularity, he will be the top free agent. ESPN is ready to make their offer, but one former executive from Fox believes Romo isn’t going anywhere.

“They have to keep him,” Patrick Cakes said to Front Office Sports who is now a media consultant. “I mean what’s $14 million, or whatever, a year to have an elite level talent to carry the brand flag for your $2 billion annual investment in NFL games? If you’re going to invest the house in the NFL, then the millions that you pay to keep a unique generational talent like Romo in-house is just marketing. As to who could replace him, he’s not replaceable. So you just do the best you can and probably pivot to the former, or soon to be former, NFL player that your production team thinks has the most upside potential AND is a good fit with (Jim) Nantz.”

In the meantime, Romo will be working with Nantz one last time this year when Houston Texans take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game this Sunday.