ESPN hatch unique plan for NFL coverage as $60m Pat McAfee decision shapes 2026 season

Things might look very different for the ‘World Wide Leader’ and it’s NFL coverage for 2026.

ESPN are expected to make some more changes to their coverage with reports from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic that Chris Fowler will no longer serve as an NFL game caller.

Getty

Fowler is set to remain in his role as ESPN’s No. 1 college football voice but he’ll likely see his remit dramatically reduced.

This decision looks set to be made as a result of ESPN opting to split its extra NFL games between their veteran play-by-play callers Dave Pasch and Bob Wischusen.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are established the the network’s undisputed No 1 pairing in the booth, but behind that there is plenty of movement.

Back in April, reports began circulating that ESPN were building a secondary broadcasting crew having moved on from the previous secondary trio of Fowler, Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky.

Marchand reported at the time that both Pasch and Wischusen were high up in contention to form part of the NFL’s new-look team, as were Kurt Warner and ‘dark horse’ Jason Kelce.

ESPN will have an additional eight games – five of which are international – outside of its Monday Night Football schedule as a result of the removal of the MNF double-headers after the network’s multi-billion dollar acquisition of NFL media assets.

Pasch has been with ESPN and ABC since 2003, where he has primarily served as the No. 2 NBA play-by-play announcer, as well as calling men and women’s college basketball, and college football games.

He is also the voice of the Arizona Cardinals.

Similarly, Wischusen has been a long-standing member of the network having joined in 2005 as a play-by-play announcer on ESPN and ABC’s college basketball and football coverage, as well as being the No. 2 voice on the network’s NHL coverage.

Furthermore, he has been employed by the New York Jets since 2022, where he is their lead play-by-play voice on radio.

Getty

Getty

Per Marchand’s latest report, ESPN are still reportedly looking into bringing in a new color commentator, with Warner and Riddick still very much in the running.

Kelce – who penned a multi-year, $24 million deal back in May 2024 – is too, although Marchand states that he is “unlikely to call all the games in that new role.”

Tying Pat McAfee down for the long-term

Amid the personnel overhaul for NFL coverage, ESPN has also ensured that they keep some of their biggest talent.

Nobody, perhaps other than Stephen A. Smith, is bigger in broadcasting at the moment than Pat McAfee.

The Pat McAfee Show has only surged in popularity over the last few years, with the former Indianapolis Colts punter having forged a far more successful career away from the gridiron since his retirement in 2016.

With just two years remaining on his current contract which sees him rake in $30 million a year from his titular show as well as his ‘College GameDay’ role, ESPN are reportedly in negotiations over an extension.

NFL's Greatest......

Ranking the top 10......

Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?

Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?

Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more

Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?

This extension is estimated to be offering over $60 million a year, which dwarfs Smith’s five-year, $105 million deal with the network.

With greater pay comes greater responsibility, with Marchand reporting that McAfee would likely take on a “bigger role in NFL coverage” to go alongside his current commitments, which also includes some appearances on the WWE circuit.

He has already shown that he is willing to take on extra demands, having delivered an alternative broadcast of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, which ran parallel to the ABC telecast of the game.

What else lies in store for him, though, remains to be seen.

Stay up to date on all things NFL across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.