Dave Pasch reportedly ‘has the inside track’ on ESPN’s No. 2 NFL booth

How does an NFL booth featuring Dave Pasch alongside Jason Kelce or Kurt Warner sound? Because that might just be what ESPN puts together for its No. 2 broadcasting team.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, who said on the most recent episode of Marchand & Meterparel that he expects either Kelce or Warner to be the analyst while Pasch “has the inside track” at the moment, though there are other contenders.

This isn’t too different from what Marchand has previously reported, though he has said Pasch, Mike Monaco, and former Monday Night Football lead voice Steve Levy are contenders, and that other voices like Bob Wischusen could potentially find their way into the mix.

Pasch, who has been with ESPN and ABC since 2003, has become a dependable voice, primarily calling NBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, and college football games. He sometimes gets lost in the shuffle behind bigger names, but the nod here would be a nice feather in his cap.

As for Kelce, a move to the NFL booth would be a return to form for ESPN’s jack-of-all-trades. Over the last year, ESPN has been treating Kelce like Chunky from I Think You Should Leave, trying to figure out what it is he does here. In addition to Monday Night Countdown appearances, he’s appeared on golf broadcasts, hockey games, and even late-night television. His gregarious style doesn’t work everywhere. His potential inclusion in a broadcasting booth sounds interesting, but it might also end up being remembered in the same vein as infamous MNF gaffes like Dennis Miller and the BoogerMobile.

Warner has been the NFL Network’s lead analyst in recent years. Given ESPN’s recent acquisition of NFL Media, that would make for a smooth transition for what the former quarterback was already essentially doing. While Kelce would be the high-risk, high-reward candidate, Warner would be the steady hand.

Marchand initially reported last month that ESPN was looking to mix up its secondary booth this season, as the slate they’ll have will likely include a lot of international games, which would be hard for the current booth of Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, and Louis Riddick, all of whom have assignments that would keep them stateside. Marchand did note that the trio could reappear “for a game here and there, but nothing is officially decided as of yet.”