Report: ESPN, Fox willing to pay Peyton Manning $10M per year

ESPN and Fox Sports are prepared to open the checkbook and write seven zeroes in the dollar column as a means to lure Peyton Manning into their respective broadcast booths. Both networks are so interested in getting the five-time NFL MVP to call their respective Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football games that they're willing to pay him $10 million annually, The Sporting News reported, citing a source. By comparison, former ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden received $6.5 million per year as of 2015, according to author Jim Miller. For his part, Manning has not declared that he wants to return to television -- outside of his numerous commercials -- but that hasn't stopped the talk outside of the broadcast booth. "Peyton Manning is Tony Romo with a Super Bowl ring," the source said, per The Sporting News. "This is a battle for the Midwest. He's super-popular in the Midwest. He's got this 'Aw Shucks,' thing down pat. The Mannings are the first family of football." Fox Sports signed a five-year, $3 billion deal for Thursday Night Football, with the network to pay $550 million a year through 2022, according to SportsBusiness Daily. ESPN's Monday Night Football booth has yet to replace Gruden, who has since re-joined the Oakland Raiders as their head coach. The New York Post previously reported that Manning could slide next to current play-by-play broadcaster Sean McDonough, although he could be replaced by Joe Tessitore, Steve Levy or Dave Pasch should the network do a total reboot of the Monday Night Football booth. ESPN executive Stephanie Druley told SI.com in January that "We like Peyton Manning. And we would be foolish not to talk him." Manning retired from playing football after the 2015 season. The 41-year-old Manning walked away from the NFL as the league's all-time passing leader with 71,940 yards and 539 touchdown passes. He won two championship rings -- one with the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI and another with the Denver Broncos during his final season in Super Bowl 50.