Boomer Esiason leaving ‘The NFL Today’ on CBS, extends WFAN contract

Boomer Esiason is leaving one prominent job, but sticking with another. He announced Monday he is stepping away from The NFL Today on CBS while making a long-term commitment to WFAN.

Earlier this year, Andrew Marchand reported the contracts of James Brown, Phil Simms, Bill Cowher, and Esiason were all expiring, foreshadowing the possibility that big changes might be in store for the show. And Monday morning, the first of those changes were announced, with Esiason sharing the news that he is leaving The NFL Today after an impressive 22-year run.

Boomer Esiason announces he is leaving The NFL Today on CBS, but signed an extension to continue his WFAN morning show with Gio pic.twitter.com/91E0OzmGx9

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 29, 2024

“It’s been a very busy year for all of us, all the way through the Super Bowl, coming through the different bankruptcies and things of that nature,” Esiason said, referencing the financial trouble WFAN’s parent company Audacy has experienced in recent years. “So, for the last two months, I’ve been trying to figure out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. And one of the places that I want to be is right here at WFAN…I enjoy this more than anything, so I’ve extended extensively into the future.”

While the 63-year-old will continue his weekday morning radio show with co-host Gregg Giannotti, Esiason is freeing up his weekends by stepping away from The NFL Today after 22 years. That’s an ending Esiason sounded at peace with, although he noted it was more the network’s decision than his.

“I am stepping away from The NFL Today on CBS,” Esiason announced Monday morning on WFAN. “More their decision than maybe mine. But I really thought the Super Bowl was my swan song and I thought the way CBS handled, especially us in Las Vegas, was amazing. I had been there for 22 years.”

“It’s been an unbelievable run for me and I’m so grateful and privileged to have been there for 22 years,” Esiason told Giannotti after thanking all of the people he worked with on and off the air during his more than two decades with the show. “You and I talked about it at the Super Bowl, I just kinda felt like this was it. Super Bowl LVIII was it. I’ve been a part of so many Super Bowls.”

Esiason also noted the person who hired him for The NFL Today, Sean McManus retired from his post as CBS Sports chairman after the Masters, with David Berson being his successor.

“It’s his business now,” Esiason said of Berson. “It’s his job to do what he thinks is in the best interest of that show and for CBS Sports.”

And while Berson will be making significant changes to The NFL Today, he won’t be making changes to Esaison’s presence on the weekday programming on CBS Sports Network. In addition to Esiason signing a long-term deal with WFAN, the station’s No. 1 rated morning show reached an extension to remain on CBS Sports Network.

But Esiason won’t be the only change on CBS’s NFL studio show. Simms is also leaving, and Matt Ryan is joining. Brown, Cowher, and JJ Watt will carry over.

[WFAN]