Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has been celebrating after leading the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Honored as the youngest NFL head coach, McVay was rumored to be retiring after the championship. Hearing the announcement, Amazon aggressively pursued the Rams head coach to join the broadcast team only to hear a ‘no’ as a result. Now, the e-commerce giant is targeting ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.
Sean McVay’s rejection
Amazon company reportedly made McVay an offer to work with them for their NFL analyst in Thursday night football, but McVay chose the path to give his loyalty to the team.
“McVay says no to TV. He and Amazon were going to meet next week, and Amazon may have gone as high as five years and $100M, according to sources. Rams, obviously, have stepped up with a raise from his reported $8.5M. … On to the next one ….,” Andrew Marchand of NFL Network reported.
While committed to the team, McVay also mentioned that he is looking forward to life outside football after he is done with the NFL.
“I love this so much that it’s such a passion,” the former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator said. “But I also know that what I’ve seen from some of my closest friends, whether it’s coaches or even some of our players. I’m gonna be married this summer, I want to have a family, and I think being able to find that balance but also be able to give the time necessary.”
However, the misconception was put down on the Rams-winning parade when McVay shouted, along with All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald to confirm that they will be returning back in 2022.
With McVay turning down Amazon’s offer, the company still has to fill in the void for its how. Amazon is reportedly shifting the attention to college football announcer, Kirk Herbstreit.
Sean McVay told ESPN today that he is not pursuing any television opportunities and he is committed to helping the Rams defend their Super-Bowl title. pic.twitter.com/0eUHzQ7Zue
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 25, 2022
Kirk Herbstreit
Previously, Amazon has tried and missed three contenders, Troy Aikman, Sean McVay, and John Lynch.
Working to fill in the gaps, Amazon has been eyeing a lead analyst at ESPN College GameDay and the network’s leading college football commentator.
“NEWS: Amazon is eyeing ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit as its Thursday Night Football game analyst,” NFL Network’s Andrew Marchand reported.
Reports say that Herbst is trying to make it possible for him to be on Thursday night games on Amazon while still working at ESPN on Saturdays, even though ESPN has attempted to prevent Herbs from joining. According to his current contract, there is no such restriction that does not allow Herbstreit to do such acts while still being able to keep his role at ESPN.
However, the decision solely belongs to Herbst. So, if Amazon would like to make an offer, the company has to agree with him working for another broadcasting company.
Herbstreit known as ESPN’s iconic “College GameDay” show is under contract with ESPN for around $6-plus million per year, as per a report. He would seemingly fit the criteria of Al Michaels who has been with NBC Sports, CBS Sports, ABC Sports, and currently signed with Amazon.
In the meantime, only time will tell the decision as until now, no official statement by any party has been made or officially announced.