ESPN Weighs Pasch, Wischusen for 2026 NFL Secondary Games

ESPN is considering changes to its NFL play-by-play rotation for games not called by Joe Buck starting in 2026, with Dave Pasch and Bob Wischusen emerging as leading options to replace Chris Fowler. The expected shift is tied to scheduling conflicts created by Fowler’s Saturday college football commitments. Those conflicts could intensify as more NFL games are staged internationally during the fall.

No assignments have been formally confirmed, and ESPN has not announced final broadcast pairings. Officials also have not detailed how responsibilities would be divided across the additional package of non-Monday night games.

Under current plans, Pasch and Wischusen would split play-by-play duties on ESPN’s secondary NFL package. The approach would give ESPN more flexibility when overlap with college football makes Fowler unavailable.

The planning also reflects the logistical burden of overseas broadcasts, which typically require earlier travel and longer on-site production windows than domestic games. That timeline can be difficult to combine with a lead Saturday college football role.

International schedule complicates ESPN’s 2026 assignments

In 2026, ESPN is slated to have eight non-Monday night NFL games, with seven of those games scheduled to air on NFL Network. Five of the games are expected to be played internationally during the college football season, creating a direct clash with Fowler’s weekend workload.

Fowler’s primary fall duties include calling major college football games on Saturdays. With international NFL games landing in the same window, the turnaround time and travel demands could make those assignments impractical alongside a Saturday anchor role.

Analyst roles still under review for the package

On the analyst side, Jason Kelce remains under consideration for some broadcasts, while Kurt Warner and Louis Riddick are also among the names being weighed for other games. ESPN has not announced final decisions.

If ESPN proceeds with Pasch and Wischusen as the main play-by-play options for the non-Buck slate, it would reduce the likelihood of late changes driven by college football conflicts. Any confirmation is expected to depend on finalized 2026 schedule details and distribution plans for the games.

Attention will next turn to whether ESPN confirms its broadcast teams and how it deploys talent for international games once the 2026 calendar is set.