The Manning brothers are back for “Monday Night Football” to close Week 10, returning to ESPN2 after a one-week hiatus to broadcast the Rams’ showdown with the 49ers, which kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET. And not only that, but they might be set to break what’s become known as the ManningCast Curse. In each of Peyton and Eli Manning’s previous appearances calling “MNF,” at least one of their guests happened to be an active NFL player, and each time, that player’s team suffered either a big loss or injury the following week. Now, back for Week 10, the Mannings won’t have a single active player on their guest list.
Here’s the celebrity lineup for the ManningCast’s return for 49ers-Rams:
- Al Michaels, “Sunday Night Football” play-by-play
- Phil Mickelson, pro golfer
- Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
- Philip Rivers, retired NFL quarterback
The most notable inclusion is probably Rivers, considering he’s publicly left the door open for a potential comeback this season, but as you can see, there’s not a single officially active player in sight. Does this mean the ManningCast Curse is doomed to come to a halt? Perhaps the real answer is that fans of Phil, the Warriors, NBC Sports and Rivers’ high school squad, the St. Michael Catholic Crusaders, should be worried.
And for the record, here’s a rundown of how and when the ManningCast has struck thus far:
