While 30 NFL teams have made their regular-season debuts, it’s time for Monday Night Football to round out the week. In addition, Week 1 features a ManningCast as the New York Jets head to Levi’s Stadium to take on the San Francisco 49ers.
This will be the first of 11 scheduled ManningCasts for the 2024 season, including one on Wild Card Weekend. Let’s take a look at the first group of guests set to join the show tonight.
Who Will Appear on Tonight’s ManningCast?
It has been announced by ManningCast company Omaha Productions that three guests will join Peyton and Eli on tonight’s ManningCast, which will air on ESPN2 during Monday Night Football.
Bill Belichick
Legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick will join the Manning brothers in his first of many appearances this season. After parting ways with the New England Patriots in the offseason, Belichick has signed deals with ESPN and Omaha Productions for various sports broadcasting opportunities during the 2024 season.
After debuting on Pat McAfee’s annual Draft Spectacular, Belichick is diving head-first into broadcasting as a regular first-half guest on the ManningCast in 2024 while also starting a new show with Peyton on ESPN called “The Breakdown.”
Belichick has been an NFL coach since 1975, starting with the Baltimore Colts. He got his first head coaching job in 1991 for the Cleveland Browns but was fired in 1996 as part of Art Modell’s decision to move the Browns to Baltimore.
Belichick returned to head coaching in 2000, taking over the Patriots’ role. He would help lead New England to six Super Bowl wins and earned AP NFL Coach of the Year honors three times.
Adam Sandler
Actor, comedian, and producer Adam Sandler joins the Manning brothers in the second half of their Monday Night Football coverage. One of Sandler’s more well-known roles came from the 1998 comedy The Waterboy, in which the actor played football prodigy Bobby Boucher Jr.
Sandler is also a die-hard Jets fan who’s ready to watch QB Aaron Rodgers lead New York to a postseason berth.
Sandler’s career began in 1990 when he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He has starred in comedy films that have grossed over $2 billion worldwide. In 1999, he formed his own production company, Happy Madison Productions.
In 2022, Sandler signed a four-movie deal with Netflix worth more than $250 million. Thus, while cheering on his Jets, Sandler will also promote his new comedy special, “Love You.”
Chris Jones
Tonight’s final guest will be Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.
The Chiefs drafted Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he’s stayed in Kansas City his entire career. Following Week 1, he’s amassed 276 tackles, 76.5 sacks, and 13 forced fumbles.
Jones has been named a first-team All-Pro twice and a second-team All-Pro three times. He also holds the NFL record for most consecutive games with a sack (11).
After Kansas City won the Super Bowl last season, Jones and the Chiefs took on the Baltimore Ravens this past Thursday to start the 2024 regular season. Jones had three total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack in the 27-20 win over the Ravens.
With a three-peat on the line, the Mannings are sure to ask Jones about the expectations for the season while also seeing how things felt in his first week of action.