Report: ESPN 'aggressively pursuing' popular former player for 'MNF"

It appears it's only a matter of time before recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce signs a deal with a TV network and starts his new career.

The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported ESPN is "aggressively pursuing" Kelce for its "Monday Fight Football" pregame show "Monday Night Countdown." If the 36-year-old signs with ESPN, he could replace analyst Robert Griffin III.

Marchand noted ESPN feels Griffin III — a former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner (2011) — "has leveled off," explaining why it's considering a change. He also regularly appears on other programming and calls college football games for the network.

Meanwhile, Scott Van Pelt, Marcus Spears, Ryan Clark and Michelle Beisner-Buck will retain their roles.

However, ESPN faces stiff competition from CBS, NBC and Amazon Prime Video. It's also worth noting Front Office Sports reported Kelce spoke with Fox Sports while he was in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII.  

CBS' "The NFL Today" is based in New York, while NBC's "Football Night in America" is based in Stamford, Conn. Both locations would be convenient for a Philadelphia-based Kelce. "Monday Night Countdown" splits its time between the road and ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn.

CBS has several openings, as it has yet to re-sign analysts Phil Simms, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason and Nate Burleson. Perhaps it's waiting on Kelce's decision.

Expect ESPN to ramp up its pursuit of Kelce. In recent years, the network has focused on adding stars to "Monday Night Football," including Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli. 

Bringing in Kelce would further this effort. The seven-time Pro Bowler hosts a popular weekly podcast, "New Heights," with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis. It has 2.35M subscribers on YouTube.