Boomer Esiason would charge Chris Russo $100k for weekly NFL radio hit

Credit: WFAN via CBS Sports Network

If Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo is going to ask Boomer Esiason to do a weekly spot on his SiriusXM Radio show, he should know the former NFL MVP doesn’t come cheap.

Esiason recently received a cryptic voicemail from Russo proposing a potential opportunity. After sharing the voicemail with co-host Gregg Giannotti on their WFAN radio show Tuesday morning, they decided Russo was most likely calling to propose a weekly segment on his SiriusXM show. The voicemail led Giannotti to ask the more important question of what Esiason would charge for a weekly call-in segment.

Boomer Esiason estimates what he would charge Chris Russo and SiriusXM for a weekly football segment pic.twitter.com/VxI0EQA3Sp

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“I haven’t even thought about it and I don’t know whether or not that’s what he wants, or something else,” Esiason answered, noting it also depends on how long and when.

Not satisfied with Esiason’s attempt at evading the question, Giannotti pressed his co-host for a better answer, painting the scenario of a 20-minute weekly call-in segment beginning Week 1 of the NFL season and lasting through the Super Bowl. The deal would not require Esiason to ever appear with Russo in studio or even at the Super Bowl.

“If it takes 20 minutes one day a week for 25 weeks, I do the math in my head, I don’t know, 100 grand,” Esiason said. “I don’t know if it were that. We’ll see. Because you gotta pay taxes, you gotta pay agent fees, you got all that crap.”

Andrew Marchand previously reported Pat McAfee paid Aaron Rodgers a seven-figure number when the polarizing quarterback used to make weekly appearances on his show. Rodgers of course garnered more attention for his weekly spots with McAfee than Esiason might in a hypothetical deal with Russo. But $100k for 25 20-minute call-in segments ain’t a bad gig if you can command it. The question is whether Russo, who used to be paid $10,000 per every First Take episode, would be surprised by Esiason’s expected number.

Last week, Audacy announced a partnership to make WFAN and 41 other stations available on SiriusXM. Russo acknowledged it might open the door for more collaboration with WFAN, and even noted an interest in having Esiason on as a regular guest during the NFL season. But he may not have realized it would cost him upwards of $100k to seal the deal.

Russo also recently began the quest to replace Stugotz on his weekly NFL picks segment, suggesting he would consider reuniting with Mike Francesa if their schedules allowed it. Maybe Russo is now considering Esiason as a possible Stugotz replacement. And if it’s now public knowledge that Esiason sets his base price at $100k, what does Francesa command for a weekly Mike and the Mad Dog reunion?

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