Overview
- This week Rich Eisen said on the SI Media podcast that he "believes" he is done doing play‑by‑play and described the job as counter to his instincts as a studio host.
- ESPN completed its acquisition of NFL Media earlier this year and assumed production control of NFL Network, a change that canceled the Monday Night Football doubleheader and reshuffled which networks and voices call international games.
- Multiple outlets report ESPN removed Eisen from game broadcasts and that longtime ESPN voice Dave Pasch is expected to take over the NFL Network international slate, though those replacement plans are reported rather than officially confirmed by the companies.
- Eisen and critics point to specific weaknesses in his game work, including repeated catchphrases, talking over game sound, and a tendency to fill dead air, which Eisen says conflicted with the restraint required after big plays.
- Eisen will remain on air as host of NFL GameDay Morning and with his ESPN radio commitments, while Pasch’s expected move to the NFL slate will require the Arizona Cardinals to find a new radio play‑by‑play announcer and shift other broadcast assignments.