Boomer Esiason invited to join next week’s ManningCast despite not being a fan of the show

With the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns scheduled to meet on Monday Night Football next week, Boomer Esiason will likely make his first ManningCast appearance.

During his Tuesday morning radio show with Gregg Giannotti on WFAN, Esiason said he received an invite to join Eli and Peyton Manning’s Monday Night Football alternate feed on ESPN next week. According to Esiason, details still need to be worked out, but the former Bengals quarterback fully expects to appear on the show.

“I will announce to you that I was invited on the ManningCast for next Monday night,” Esiason said. “Trying to work out the schedules and I think it should be OK.”

After responding with excitement and noting the ManningCast invite is a “big thing,” Giannotti reminded Esiason that he’s been critical of the Monday Night Football alterna-cast and its format in the past.

“You know what’s funny about this,” Giannotti said. “You’ve been talking about how you never watch the ManningCast, it’s not for you and all of this stuff and you’ve said that publicly on this show and here you are, you’re gonna be a guest on there.”

Esiason previously said he would only flip to the ManningCast if the Monday Night Football game was a blowout, adding that their use of guests is “awkward.” He’s certainly not wrong; despite the ManningCast’s popularity, there have been plenty of awkward moments with guests as Eli and Peyton Manning attempt to juggle being analysts and interviewers via Zoom.

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Now, Esiason is set to be one of those awkward guests. But he’s not planning to hide his feelings.

“I’ll tell them right to their faces,” Esiason said of the ManningCast not being his preferred way to consumer Monday Night Football. “But now that I’m on it, now it’s definitely must -atch TV.

“So CBS is going to allow you to go on ESPN, but ESPN still will never allow any of their guests on here,” Giannotti said of their Audacy-owned radio show, which is simulcast by CBS Sports Network.

For years, WFAN hosts have complained about ESPN blocking talent from joining their radio shows as the Worldwide Leader instead opts to feature its personalities on WFAN competitor 98.7 ESPN New York. The ManningCast, however, is produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, which is why the show so often features guests outside the ESPN brand.

Assuming Esiason’s ManningCast appearance comes to fruition, Giannotti would like to see Eli and Peyton return the favor by joining their WFAN morning show.

[CBS Sports Network]