CBS's iconic NFL pregame show will have a much different look this fall with two familiar faces leaving the set.
The network announced Monday that 2016 league MVP Matt Ryan will be joining the cast of "The NFL Today," while longtime veterans Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason will not be returning.
Ryan, who led the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl in his MVP season, officially announced his retirement from the NFL last week. He joined CBS Sports last season as an NFL game analyst and appeared in studio during the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl.
Simms' departure marks the end of an era for him at CBS. The former New York Giants quarterback, 68, served as lead game analyst for nearly 20 years before transitioning to the studio and working alongside Esiason, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, ex-wide receiver Nate Burleson and host James Brown.
Esiason, who played quarterback for 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, spent more than two decades on the "NFL Today" set, making him the show's longest-tenured analyst.
"More their decision than maybe mine," Esiason said on his New York radio show Monday morning. He will, however, continue his association with the network with the WFAN radio show also simulcast on the CBS Sports Network.
Both Esiason and Simms had their contracts expire after the Super Bowl. CBS chose not to renew them.
Ryan, 38, is one of only five players in NFL history to pass for at least 60,000 yards and win an MVP. He played 15 seasons with the Falcons and Indianapolis Colts from 2008-2022. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and led the Falcons to an NFC championship and an appearance in Super Bowl 51.
"I grew up watching the NFL Today so I’m honored to join this iconic show and hope to continue the high standard set by Phil, Boomer and others before me," Ryan said in a news release from CBS. "I am thankful for this exciting new opportunity and can’t wait to get started with my new teammates." [Reply]
Originally Posted by Why Not?:
They need to axe most of these guys. All these shows do. I don't need 6 or 7 dudes or whatever to do a pre-game show. Give me 2 guys and move on.
I still think a pregame.or.broadcast should have one or two announcers. Then a knowledgeable fan of each team and city.
Let them shit talk each other and talk about their teams little things thatost people would not know on a national level. [Reply]
I'd rather watch guppies fuck than watch those network pregame shows. Jim Brown's fake hairline deeply disturbs me and gives me nightmares, and the fake guffaws every time one of those fossils cracks a lame "joke" jumped the shark about the same time as the phrase "jumped the shark" did.
Terry Bradshaw is the worst of all. They need to take that clown out behind the barn and end it humanely. [Reply]
Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks:
I'd rather watch guppies fuck than watch those network pregame shows. Jim Brown's fake hairline deeply disturbs me and gives me nightmares, and the fake guffaws every time one of those fossils cracks a lame "joke" jumped the shark about the same time as the phrase "jumped the shark" did.
Terry Bradshaw is the worst of all. They need to take that clown out behind the barn and end it humanely.
I remember when Fox made him MC the 100 greatest players of all time thing and, of course, he with his four rings wasn't one of them. That was one of the more brutal FUCK YOUs I've ever seen on TV. I guess somebody high up at Fox hates him as much as we do. You'd think he'd have enough money at this point to tell them to go to hell and quit rather than do that. He was clearly pissed off and hurt and embarrassed, and doing his best to put on a brave face. I felt bad for Terry that day. At the very least he should have worn his four rings on his mic hand.
But basically every time I've seen him on TV since has helped me to get over that. Especially lobbing fat jokes at Reid during the Fox's last Super Bowl. He's just a rambling, incoherent and bitter buffoon. Like you said, he should be put out of his misery. And ours. [Reply]
Originally Posted by smithandrew051:
I want Shaq, Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson
Give me an NFL studio show with Katie Nolan, Joy Taylor, Cynthia Frelund, and Kay Adams, and I am watching it every week.
But, right now, like someone else said, I turn it on minutes before kickoff, and I turn it off after the post game interview. I usually then go to YouTube and wait for Mitch and Matt to start their post game show. [Reply]
Yeah, I don’t make it a point to watch the pregame stuff. I’m like a turn it on right at game time, watch some other shit at halftime, then watch something else immediately after the game ends kind of guy.
I’ve found that 1:04 is like the perfect time to turn the game on. You miss all the pregame shenanigans, the anthem, everything. Tune in just in time for kickoff. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThyKingdomCome15:
They both seemed so anti-KC but I liked them alright. Better than Terry Bradshaw anyhow.
yeah, in spite of the fact that I just didn't like Simms opinions very often, at least he could speak proper English and get his points across, same with Boomer. You didn't need subtitles. Alo didn't have to deal with 5 guys trying to yell over each other. [Reply]
