CBS is adding some special guest analysts to its pre-game show on Super Bowl Sunday. New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Payton, New York Jets’ wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Baltimore Ravens’ receiver Steve Smith Sr. will all be joining The Super Bowl Today pre-game show, with Payton and Marshall appearing with Ian Eagle on one of the two Super Bowl Today sets at the stadium in Santa Clara and Smith joining Greg Gumbel, Amy Trask and Trent Green on a set in San Francisco.
Marshall in particular has been making the media rounds recently, appearing every week on Showtime’s Inside The NFL in 2014 and again this season (although he now has a shorter commute thanks to playing in New York rather than Chicago). He’s also been a regular guest on many of the broadcasts from Radio Row throughout this Super Bowl week, and even got in a yelling match with Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. The 31-year-old Marshall may have several NFL seasons ahead of him, but he’s also developing into a prominent analyst while still playing, and he’ll likely draw plenty of interest for a more permanent role from networks when he does hang his cleats up.
The 36-year-old Smith also seems likely to have a post-NFL commentary career, and this guest analyst role could be a good step towards that for him. Don’t expect that to start immediately, though, as he’s said he’s coming back in 2016 despite tearing his Achilles tendon late in the season. Still, Smith has received plenty of praise for his outspokenness and personality, and will likely be a target for networks once he does retire. (Payton might be a great TV fit, too, but he seems likely to be an in-demand coach for the next while.) All of these guest analysts should help add to CBS’ broadcast Sunday, and for Marshall and Smith in particular, it might be a look at what they could offer in this kind of role after their playing careers.
The regular NFL Today cast of host James Brown and analysts Tony Gonzalez, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cowher and Bart Scott will be on set too, as well as NFL insider Jason La Canfora and officiating expert Mike Carey. The show begins at 2 p.m. Eastern and will run until the Super Bowl starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
