ESPN paid the NFL $1.1 billion this year for the rights to broadcast Monday Night Football. To bolster that coverage and warrant that massive sum, they pay millions of dollars in salaries to NFL sideline reporters Suzy Kolber, Rachel Nichols, Sal Paolantonio, and Ed Werder.
None of those individuals worked last night's game between the 49ers and Steelers, despite it being the first meaningful MNF game in weeks. Instead, the network tried out ESPN Deportes veteran John Sutcliffe on the sideline. Sutcliffe searched for, stumbled over, and struggled to find words to the point that the network eventually stopped seeking his insights entirely. Be it nerves, a language barrier, or lack of preparation, he failed to communicate much of anything of value to viewers—even relative to Jon Gruden's inane commentary.