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Reeling from the pending loss of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, Fox Sports might ask Michael Strahan to become its No. 1 NFL analyst.
That’s the word from Jason Whitlock, the outspoken columnist and TV personality who’s worked for Fox twice during his career.
Fox will consider asking Strahan, the “Good Morning America” co-host and cast member of “Fox NFL Sunday,” to replace Aikman as the network’s No. 1 TV analyst, according to Whitlock.
The 50-year-old Strahan is one of the most successful personalities to cross over into news and entertainment from sports. The Super Bowl winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer would bring the star power needed to succeed Aikman.
With Fox set to broadcast two of the next three Super Bowls, it will consider pairing Strahan with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels for the 2022 season, said Whitlock, who co-hosted FS1’s “Speak for Yourself” from 2016-20.
Both Aikman and Buck, who served as Fox’s No.1 NFL team for the past 20 years, are poised to jump to ESPN where they will team up again for “Monday Night Football.”
“Strahan’s an option,” Whitlock told Front Office Sports Friday night. “Along with Sean Payton and [No. 2 analyst Greg] Olsen. And I’m sure they will reach out to Tom Brady.”
“It’s either got to be a big name like Brady or Strahan.”
Strahan is not a done deal. The fast-rising Olsen could be the heir-apparent, said sources. Fox has also begun negotiations with Payton. Whitlock speculated Strahan could be a “stopgap” solution for Fox as it tries to shore up its NFL announcing teams.
Squaring up weekend NFL games with Strahan’s weekday job on ABC’s morning show would also be a logistical challenge.
However, Strahan does travel weekly to Los Angeles for the “Fox NFL Sunday” pregame show during football season.
Whitlock noted that ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is poised to call both Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” and ABC/ESPN’s top college football games during football season.
If the move happens, Strahan would inherit the country’s most-watched NFL game window: Fox’s “America’s Game of the Week” on late Sunday afternoons.
Whitlock, who also worked twice at ESPN, praised ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro for paying what it takes to bring both Aikman and Buck to “Monday Night Football.”
Said Whitlock: “It’s super-expensive what ESPN did. But these are Jimmy Pitaro’s best days. They’re getting the Super Bowl. And ESPN has its first rock-solid, no-questions-asked ‘Monday Night Football’ team.”
