ESPN nets Monday night wild-card game

ESPN has signed a five-year agreement with the NFL to broadcast the Monday night game during the first weekend of the playoffs, beginning this season.

The announcement was made by ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro at the CAA World Congress of Sport. The NFL announced last month that it was moving the Saturday early afternoon game on wild-card weekend to Monday night.

There will be two games on Saturday (4:35 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. ET), three on Sunday (1:05 p.m., 4:40 p.m., and 8:15 p.m. ET), and one on Monday (8:15 p.m. ET).

The Monday night game will also air on ABC while ESPN2 will feature an alternate feed with Peyton and Eli Manning.

CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said before the season started that CBS will have the Sunday late afternoon game, which will again feature a kids-focused broadcast on Nickelodeon. NBC is expected to have the Sunday night game as one of its two that weekend.

CBS also has two games while Fox and ESPN/ABC have one apiece. ESPN and ABC will also have a Saturday doubleheader the final week of the regular season.

TITANS’ JONES RETURNS

TO PRACTICE » Titans wide receiver Julio Jones returned to practice after missing the past two games with an injured hamstring.

Both Jones and A.J. Brown practiced during the portion open to reporters, and Jones ran well during the individual drills. Brown returned last week in a 3719 win over the Jaguars from his own injured hamstring, which he hurt early in a 25-16 win over Indianapolis on Sept. 26.

Jones wasn’t on the field late in that win over the Colts. Coach Mike Vrabel said the next day that Jones was tight, then Jones appeared on the injury report with a hamstring. Jones sat out practice the past two weeks.

Asked before practice if Jones would return, Vrabel said only that reporters would be able to report on what happened during individual drills.