Esiason not returning as ‘MNF’ radio analyst

Boomer Esiason announced on Monday that he will not return as an analyst for Westwood One radio’s national “Monday Night Football” package, ending an 18-year run.

Esiason said he had been leaning toward that decision late last season and made it final when the 2018 schedule came out and included many Central, Mountain and Pacific Time Zone games.

“I’m going to miss it, but in all reality I kind of have to get part of my life back,” Esiason said on WFAN Monday morning during a call from his longtime playby-play partner, Kevin Harlan.

Kurt Warner, a frequent fill-in for Esiason on radio, is presumed to be the leading candidate to replace him as the lead analyst for Westwood One.

Because of his WFAN show, Esiason most weeks had to fly to the site of the Monday night game after that morning’s show, then return on a private plane immediately after the football game to get back on the air by 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Esiason is scheduled to do one last game for Westwood One — the Thursday night Falcons at Eagles opener on Sept. 6.

In addition to his WFAN show, Esiason will continue as an analyst for CBS’ “The NFL Today” pregame show and Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.”

Last season’s Super Bowl was Esiason’s 18th for Westwood One and 19th overall, having been a TV analyst for ABC for Super Bowl XXXIV.

“Boomer has been the constant for a generation of ‘Monday Night Football’ listeners, and we can’t thank him enough for his nearly two decades of service to Westwood One,” executive producer Howard Deneroff said in a news release. “He has been the ultimate professional, a terrific broadcaster, and a great teammate to all of us who have had the good fortune of working with him.”

JETS MOVES

The New York Jets waived 2015 second-round draft pick Devin Smith and signed safety Brandon Bryant.

Smith, a wide receiver from Ohio State, couldn’t stay healthy or provide anything on the field for the team. He played in 14 games with only 10 receptions. Twice, Smith suffered major knee injuries.

Bryant struggled to concentrate on football after his father died in a 2015 motorcycle crash. Bryant was arrested for driving under the influence later on. Academically ineligible for next season, he declared for the NFL’s supplemental draft but was not chosen last week.

At Mississippi State, he had five interceptions and 157 tackles in three seasons while appearing in 37 games.

The Jets used their top two picks in the 2017 draft on safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.

PACKERS FINANCIALS

The Green Bay Packers’ profit fell by nearly 50 percent in the last fiscal year as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

President and CEO Mark Murphy said the outlook for the Packers remains strong as the NFL’s only publicly owned team released its 2018 financial statement. The Packers announced a profit from operations of $34.1 million, a steep decline from $65.4 million a year earlier. Expenses soared 11.9 percent, from $376.1 million to $420.9 million, a byproduct of player salaries, coaching changes and travel costs. Revenue increased just 3.1 percent from $441.4 million to $454.9 million.

“The NFL continues to be very popular nationally,” Murphy said. “There’s been a lot talked about with ratings that have gone down, but, really, relative to ratings overall, the league remains very strong. The fan interest and support remain strong for both the league and us. Our strong, stable financial position has allowed us to invest in the team through contracts for players and coaches, our facility, the stadium, the fan experience and community, and making sure the franchise stays strong for the future.”

Revenue from national sources rose by 4.9 percent, due to built-in increases in the national TV package. Local revenue grew by a scant 0.8 percent. A 7-9 record - the team’s first losing season since 2008 hurt the bottom line.

“This is the first year since 2008 that we were not in the playoffs, and I think that had an impact on us,” Murphy said. “We didn’t have a home playoff game and some of our visitation numbers were down a little bit. We don’t see that as a negative trend.”

The Packers made several big changes during the offseason. Murphy picked Brian Gutekunst to replace longtime general manager Ted Thompson, and coach Mike McCarthy replaced defensive coordinator Dom Capers with Mike Pettine and offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett with Joe Philbin.