Report: ESPN, FOX willing to pay Peyton Manning $10M a year

Peyton Manning might be down a slice of Papa John's, but the retired quarterback apparently won't be hurting for cash if he turns to broadcasting.

ESPN and FOX are willing to pay the two-time Super Bowl champion up to $10 million annually to secure his services, sources told Sporting News' Michael McCarthy.

Jon Gruden was believed to be earning around $6.5 million while working as part of ESPN's "Monday Night Football" crew before deciding to return to coach the Oakland Raiders in January.

Manning is viewed as a potential ailment to the NFL's declining ratings, as both networks want to shore up their primetime NFL packages, added McCarthy. He would follow in the footsteps of Tony Romo, who joined the booth for the 2017 season and was widely praised for his performance.

"Peyton Manning is Tony Romo with a Super Bowl ring," the source told McCarthy. "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."