ESPN Shakes Up No. 2 NFL Booth for 2026 Season

Network's acquisition of NFL Network leads to scheduling challenges for current broadcast team.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 5:36pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented, overlapping views of a football game or broadcast booth, conveying the complex changes to ESPN's NFL coverage.ESPN's NFL coverage undergoes a visual transformation as the network navigates the logistical challenges of its NFL Network acquisition.Philadelphia Today

ESPN is making changes to its NFL coverage in 2026, including the departure of the current No. 2 booth team of Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, and Louis Riddick. The network's acquisition of NFL Network and the need to cover more international games have created scheduling conflicts for the trio. ESPN is considering new play-by-play and analyst options, including potential big names like Jason Kelce and Kurt Warner, to fill the No. 2 booth role.

Why it matters

ESPN's NFL coverage is a marquee part of its sports programming, and the network is looking to optimize its broadcast teams to handle the expanded schedule and international games resulting from the NFL Network merger. The changes could bring fresh faces and new perspectives to the No. 2 booth, potentially shaking up the network's NFL coverage.

The details

The current No. 2 booth of Fowler, Orlovsky, and Riddick will not return for the 2026 season due to scheduling challenges. Fowler's commitments to college football and tennis coverage, as well as Orlovsky's studio work, make it difficult for the trio to handle the increased international game assignments that came with ESPN's acquisition of NFL Network. Potential replacements include play-by-play options like Matt Monaco, Dave Pasch, and Bob Wischusen, while analyst candidates could include Jason Kelce and Kurt Warner.

  • ESPN officially took over NFL Network as part of a 10 percent equity stake this week.
  • The 2026 NFL schedule will be released in May, providing more clarity on network assignments.
  • Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will remain ESPN's 'A' team and call Super Bowl 61, the first 'big game' for the network.

The players

Chris Fowler

The current play-by-play announcer in ESPN's No. 2 NFL booth, who also calls the top college football game each Saturday and is a fixture of ESPN's tennis coverage.

Dan Orlovsky

The current analyst in ESPN's No. 2 NFL booth, known for his ubiquitous studio work.

Louis Riddick

The current analyst in ESPN's No. 2 NFL booth.

Jason Kelce

An NFL analyst for 'Monday Night Countdown' who has expressed interest in calling games in the future.

Kurt Warner

A former NFL quarterback with experience calling games alongside Rich Eisen.

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What they’re saying

“When you're doing that live, in the moment, in real time, it's difficult.”

— Jason Kelce, NFL Analyst

“I think we've made a concerted effort to say 'This is our number one property, this is 'Monday Night Football,' and we're going to put the biggest and best names on this property.”

— Seth Markman, ESPN Vice President of Production

What’s next

ESPN is still finalizing its plans for the No. 2 NFL booth and must develop long-term cooperation strategies with the NFL Network acquisition. The network will have a better idea of the broadcast team roles once the 2026 NFL schedule is released in May.

The takeaway

ESPN's shakeup of its No. 2 NFL booth highlights the network's efforts to optimize its coverage and handle the expanded schedule and international games resulting from the NFL Network merger. The changes could bring new faces and fresh perspectives to the secondary broadcast team, potentially enhancing ESPN's overall NFL coverage.