Chris Fowler’s painful ‘MNF’ broadcast had fans calling for ESPN to give him time off

Someone get this man some Vitamin C stat.

While broadcasting the late “Monday Night Football” broadcast between the Chargers and Raiders in Las Vegas, ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler appeared quite sick as he struggled through his broadcast duties with a raspy voice.

“Can we give Chris Fowler a day off?” Dan “Big Cat” Katz of Barstool Sports posted on X during the Chargers’ 20-9 win.

“I didn’t even realize it was him in the intro.”

Internet jokesters even compared Fowler’s sickly voice during the game to that of animated Nickelodeon star SpongeBob SquarePants.

NBC Sports NFL writer Patrick Daugherty added that Fowler sounded like “he hasn’t slept since the beginning of the U.S. Open.”

Fowler never mentioned explicitly that he was under the weather as he fought through the conditions, but many said that he had a hoarse, raspy voice that made him sound indistinguishable from his normal self until he was actually shown on the broadcast as a commentator for the game.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman typically do the “Monday Night Football” games for ESPN, but this rare occasion of two Monday night NFL games — with the Buccaneers downing the Texans in the opener — gave Fowler the opportunity to commentate Chargers vs. the Raiders alongside Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky.

It is hectic time for Fowler after calling the US Open for two weeks and the start of the college football season, where he does a weekly game for ESPN.

Fans pointed out how Fowler sounded muffled from the opening play for the Raiders, a Geno Smith interception, and he had a tough time speaking over the loud crowd during the squence.

It was the beginning of a long night for Smith and Fowler.

The QB threw the ball 43 times for 180 yards and three interceptions during the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Chargers.