James Brown is the last man standing on The NFL Today on CBS from the crew he joined in 2006.
After watching analysts like Shannon Sharpe, Dan Marino, and Bart Scott come and go over the years, Brown and the NFL Today crew bid farewell to two more longtime CBS analysts this summer: Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms.
Simms joined the studio show in 2017 after Tony Romo replaced him in the top broadcast booth, while Esiason’s two-plus decade run on the show predated even Brown’s. CBS replaced them with the younger J.J. Watt and Matt Ryan this season.
In an interview on the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina ahead of Week 8 of the NFL season, Brown explained what made Simms and Esiason “integral” to The NFL Today and his approach to shepherding the show forward with a younger cast.
“Flat out, yes,” Brown said of missing Esiason and Simms. “And we acknowledge that and keep in contact with them. And they understand as well, Boomer and Phil were integral in terms of what we have done and the relationships that we have. Nobody worked harder than Phil Simms in knowing all the Xs and Os. He’s a gym rat in that regard. Boomer Esiason could talk any aspect of it, because he’s well-rounded on sports in general. Brought a lot of value.”
During the first pregame show of the season, the NFL Today cast paid tribute to Esiason and Simms for their prolific CBS careers.
While the changes threw a wrench in a reasonably stable format for years, Brown praised CBS executives for handling the transition smoothly.
“To give CBS a tip of the hat … how many teams have you seen with some veterans who performed well, but at some point, you’ve got the young talent that you’re bringing in,” Brown said. “The key is to find that happy medium and balance. You’ve got a veteran who’s still delivering, has some utility and value, but also has value in showing what it means to be a pro, modeling that. Having them have a relationship with a young talent to groom them. That’s important.”
This past May, the 63-year-old Esiason called his departure “natural” and said he had no ill will toward anyone at CBS. However, Esiason added that he did not believe Simms wanted to leave.
Simms confirmed as much, telling Front Office Sports that he “loved” working on the show but wasn’t surprised that CBS moved on.
Watt was waiting in the wings after a part-time role on the show in 2023 while Ryan jumped over from the broadcast booth.
Brown credited both recently retired NFL stars for their professionalism in taking over for two lifers.
“To their credit, J.J. Watt and Matt Ryan recognize that, and we have acknowledged that, at least in the first couple weeks of the show,” Brown said. “But we all know we’re there to do a job and deliver what leadership wanted to get out of this move and deliver what they were expecting.”
After years of a recognizable cast and format, CBS finally took a shot in 2024. The show’s producers spoke with Awful Announcing before the season about renovating its studio and the chemistry among the new cast, and it certainly feels fresh.
As the NFL season continues, we should have a good sense of whether the overhaul has allowed CBS to attract viewers from Fox, ESPN, and NFL Network.