Did Jaws lose job because of age?
DID ESPN drop Ron Jaworski from Monday Night Football because of his age? Possibly, the 60-year-old Jaworski told 97.5 The Fanatic yesterday.
DID ESPN drop Ron Jaworski from Monday Night Football because of his age?
Possibly, the 60-year-old Jaworski told 97.5 The Fanatic yesterday.
Last week, ESPN removed the former Eagles quarterback as a commentator from its three-man MNF team, but retained play-by-play man Mike Tirico and color commentator Jon Gruden.
The network did give Jaworski a 5-year extension for what it termed a multiplatform NFL analyst role that includes appearances on "Sunday NFL Countdown," "Monday Night Countdown," and "NFL Matchup."
"What I'm going to tell you is pure speculation, based on what I've heard . . . from the leaders and captains of industry at ESPN," Jaworski told the radio station. "They just feel that a two-man booth was the way to go.
"Obviously, I'm the odd man out. I'm the 60-year-old guy and Jon's the young guy that they believe is the future. I'm not going to argue with that."
Still, Jaworski said he was grateful for the opportunities ESPN has given him.
"They put me in a position that is really, really good in giving me the platforms to develop some of my own programming to do some things that I've always wanted to do," Jaworski said. "And at the end of the day, they're paying me a lot of money, so I can't argue with any of that."
Noteworthy *
Kansas City agreed to terms on a $19.6 million, 3-year deal with cornerback Stanford Routt, which should help the Chiefs absorb the potential loss of free agent corner Brandon Carr.
The deal includes a $4 million signing bonus and $6 million the first season, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press.
Routt is still owed $5 million next month from the Raiders, who released him after the first year of a $54.4 million, 5-year deal. The $11 million Routt will make in 2012 puts him among the three highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL.
His signing makes it easier for the Chiefs to deal with the possibility of losing Carr. The Chiefs are now likely to use the franchise tag on wide receiver Dwayne Bowe rather than using it to keep the defensive backfield together.
* New Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano hired Earnest Byner as its running backs coach, according to several reports.
Byner previously has coached running backs with the Jaguars, Titans and Redskins and also worked in the Ravens' front office.
* While there hasn't been any progress in negotiations between New England and Wes Welker, league sources told NFL Network that the Patriots won't let the wideout depart a free agent.
The 31-year-old Welker earned $2.15 million last year and caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns.
If the Patriots designate Welker as their franchise player they would have to pay him about $9.4 million next season.
* Cal Murphy, a nine-time Grey Cup champion and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, died Saturday in a hospital in Regina, Saskatchewan. He was 79. Murphy spent more than 30 years in the CFL as a coach and GM. Since 2000, he had been evaluating talent for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.