ESPN will televise two NFL preseason games as part of its 2017 MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL schedule. Play-by-play commentator Sean McDonough (in his second season as THE VOICE of MNF) will call the games with analyst Jon Gruden (ninth season) and reporter Lisa Salters (sixth season). Both MNF preseason games will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be preceded by a one-hour preseason edition of Monday Night Countdown.
ESPN's preseason kicks off Thursday, Aug. 17, when Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars - led by head coach Doug Marrone, in his first full season in Jacksonville - host Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Field. The 2016 season was the Buccaneers' first winning season since 2010 and their best division finish since 2007. ESPN's MNF team then makes its way to Cleveland where Eli Manning and the New York Giants face the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday, Aug. 21. The Browns have two first-round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, including No. 1 overall. If Cleveland does make the first selection in this year's draft, it will be the third consecutive year the No. 1 pick would play on ESPN during the preseason (Jared Goff and the Rams hosted the Cowboys on Aug. 13, 2016 and Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers hosted the Bengals on Aug. 24, 2015).Videos