Over the past few years, we have seen several high-profile former NFL players quickly thrust into significant roles across all networks. And soon, we could see another in former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson.
On Wednesday’s live edition of the Nightcap podcast from Radio Row in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe were joined by Fox color analyst Greg Olsen, who, of course, knows what it’s like to transition from a playing career to a role in the broadcast booth.
This prompted Johnson to ask Olsen whether he thought that someone like himself with zero broadcasting experience could learn how to succeed in the booth.
“Listen, I have watched you transition from playing the game to doing color commentary,” said Johnson to Olsen. “Obviously, your work ethic and your discipline has allowed you to do it. Now, I’m thinking about someone in my position who has never done anything of that magnitude. Is that possible in any way that I could learn, if I can minimize my cursing a little bit, to do color commentary? Or is that something you think I should stay away from?”
Olsen responded by saying that Johnson could absolutely learn the craft as long as he committed himself to communicating his knowledge of the game in “a different setting.”
“I think anybody can learn it,” replied Olsen. “The inherent underlying foundation of all of it is guys who love football. Guys who want to continue to learn it, stay up with the trends and follow it. Anybody can do it. Then, it’s just communicating it in a little bit of a different setting. That was probably the biggest transition for me. I’m a talker, I love conversation. I can sit here with you two for three hours and we can talk about whatever.
“But that’s not the broadcast. We have commercial breaks, we have referees, we have game breaks. You get 15 seconds. That’s probably the biggest thing is just the tempo and the rhythm of the broadcast. Everyone has a lot to say. Can you say a little bit, make an impact, but also not overdo it? I think that’s still the balance I’m trying to find.”
Just when Olsen was getting ready to leave the show just as the next guest came on, Johnson announced his intention to do color commentary for whatever network will have him next season.
“I don’t know who I need to talk to. But I’m sure the powers that be might see this. I want to do color commentary this next year. I’m putting it out there. Color commentary coming up,” said Johnson.
Shannon Sharpe then chimed in to share his doubts that Johnson would be able to succeed in a color commentary role.
“No, uh uh,” added Sharpe. “It’s right there in the moment. You gotta call it as you see it. Not something that already happened.”
On top of his role on Nightcap, Johnson also serves as an analyst on The CW’s Inside the NFL. However, as he noted, he does not have any experience calling live games.
We saw this season that someone like Tom Brady, who also started his color analyst role at Fox with minimal prior experience, has had his fair share of growing pains in his first year in the booth.
Still, Johnson certainly has the kind of charismatic personality that would seemingly translate to audiences if he truly wants to try out a role in the broadcast booth.
