It’s a big year for ESPN as the network will feature 23 games throughout the 2022 NFL season including airing a record-setting 18 regular season Monday Night Football games. ESPN has announced the weekly lineup for MFN as well as other highlights including an ESPN+’s exclusive game, opening Week MegaCast and more.
What’s Happening:
- The 2022 football season is going to be big for ESPN as the network will present 23 NFL games including the Monday night Super Wild Card Game and the Pro Bowl.
- This marks the Walt Disney Company’s most-expansive NFL season to date and features:
- 18 Monday Night Football games
- The first exclusive game on ESPN+
- A Saturday doubleheader
- Four Monday Night Football simulcast presentations on ABC
- And much more
- Football fans are in for a treat as the schedule includes appearances by NFL MVPs, marquee quarterbacks and recent Super Bowl Champions.
- 2022 also sees Joe Buck and Troy Aikman’s first season with ESPN as they headline the Monday Night Football campaign. The duo will be joined by Lisa Salters, who returns for her 11th season with the franchise.
- Fan favorite Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli will be back for 10 games in their second season.
- ESPN’s expanded portfolio of games is a result of the long-term rights agreement that ESPN, the NFL and The Walt Disney Company reached in March 2021.
ESPN’s MegaCast Production Begins 2022 Monday Night Football Campaign
The 2022 campaign begins (September 12th) with ESPN’s MegaCast production simulcast on ABC , with Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli offering their alternate telecast.
Additional season highlights:
- Two Games, One Night: Tennessee at Buffalo at 7:15 pm ET airs on ESPN; Minnesota at Philadelphia broadcast at 8:30 pm on ABC in Week 2
- ESPN Goes International: ESPN+ will carry the Wembley Stadium showdown featuring the Broncos and Jaguars in London on Sunday, October 30 at 9:30 am; Monday Night Football returns to Mexico City on November 21 for the 49ers and Cardinals.
- Lambeau in December: Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers is one of the marquee games of the season and marks the Packers’ 30th straight season on Monday Night Football.
- NFC Championship Rematch: The Rams will travel to San Francisco in Week 4.
- AFC Champions: The Bengals will appear twice, traveling to Cleveland in Week 8 and Buffalo in Week 17.
- MVPs: Every MVP from the 2016 season to present day appears on the schedule (Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Matt Ryan)
- Divisional Matchups: Eight divisional showdowns total, beginning with Cowboys-Giants in Week 3—the first of four consecutive divisional contests on the schedule (Weeks 3-6).
- Divisional Champion and Playoff Teams: All eight division champions and all 14 playoff teams from last season appear on the MNF
- Playoff Implications in Final Week: ESPN (simulcast on ABC) will air a Week 18 Saturday doubleheader (January 7, 2023) featuring two games with playoff implications on the line. Teams for both games will be determined later in the season.
A complete game-by-game breakdown:
- Week 1: Broncos at Seahawks (September 12, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN and ABC): Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will make his return to Seattle in Monday Night Football’s season debut.
- Week 2:
- Titans at Bills (September 19, 2022 – 7:15 pm – ESPN): Fourth all-time meeting between the franchises on MNF.
- Vikings at Eagles (September 19, 2022 – 8:30 pm – ABC): Third all-time meeting between the franchises on Monday Night Football.
- Week 3: Cowboys at Giants (September 26, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN and ABC): The first of four consecutive weeks of divisional showcases on Monday Night Football.
- Week 4: Rams at 49ers (October 3, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Monday Night Football will get its first glimpse of the Super Bowl Champion, Los Angeles Rams, when they travel to San Francisco.
- Week 5: Raiders at Chiefs (October 10, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): The Raiders will travel to Kansas City in Week 10 with new star power – Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Davante Adams and Chandler Jones
- Week 6: Broncos at Chargers (October 17, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Russell Wilson’s first time taking on the former Offensive Rookie of the Year, Justin Herbert.
- Week 7: Bears at Patriots (October 24, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): A showdown between two top-15 quarterbacks from the 2021 Draft class, the Bears’ Justin Fields and Patriots’ Mac Jones.
- Week 8:
- Broncos at Jaguars from London (October 30, 2022 – 9:30 am – ESPN+): ESPN will carry its first ever NFL game in London, an ESPN+ exclusive, as the Denver Broncos take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium.
- Bengals at Browns (October 31, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to their in-state AFC North divisional rivals, the Cleveland Browns, for a Halloween night matchup.
- Week 9:Ravens at Saints (November 7, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Jameis Winston will look to even the Saints’ all-time record against the Ravens as Baltimore holds a 5-2 edge in clashes between the two teams.
- Week 10: Commanders at Eagles (November 14, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Washington quarterback Carson Wentz will return to Philadelphia.
- Week 11: 49ers at Cardinals (November 21, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Monday Night Football returns to Mexico City for the first time since 2019, as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown.
- Week 12: Steelers at Colts (November 28, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): This marks the first MNF game in Indianapolis since 2015.
- Week 13: Saints at Bucs (December 5, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Tom Brady will look to record his 20th win on Monday Night Football.
- Week 14: Patriots at Cardinals (December 12, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury will attempt to get his first win against the team that drafted him in 2003.
- Week 15: Rams at Packers (December 19, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN and ABC): The matchup will mark 30 straight seasons of the Packers appearing on Monday Night Football (longest current streak among all NFL teams).
- Week 16: Chargers at Colts (December 26, 2022 – 8:15 pm – ESPN): Justin Herbert, one of the league’s top, young quarterbacks, will take on Matt Ryan, a former MVP and four-time Pro Bowler.
- Week 17: Bills at Bengals (January 2, 2023 – 8:30 pm – ESPN and ABC): After breakout seasons in 2021, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow will meet in Week 17 for the first time.
ESPN’s NFL Preseason Games
- Bears at Seattle (August 18, 2022 – 8 pm on ESPN)
- Atlanta at New York Jets (August 22, 2022 – 8 pm on ESPN)