Nate Burleson has helped elevate the NFL Network’s morning program Good Morning Football, and apparently others have taken notice, as Burleson is now set to join CBS This Morning.

The news was first reported by Brian Steinberg at Variety, who notes that Burleson will be replacing Anthony Mason.

Burleson confirmed the news on today’s Good Morning Football:

From the variety report:

Nate Burleson, the former NFL wide receiver and current CBS Sports football analyst, is joining the program, according to three people familiar with the matter. These people said Burleson is seen as a potential successor to some of the current anchors at the show, and the move will break up the current group of co-anchors: Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil. Mason, a veteran CBS News correspondent who has filled many roles, including as interim anchor of “CBS Evening News,” is expected to depart.

CBS News declined to make executives available for comment. CBS said Wednesday morning that the company had signed Burleson to a long-term deal that would have him co-anchor “CBS This Morning,” while continuing in his role as an analyst at CBS Sports’ “The NFL Today” while making regular appearances on the company’s sibling kids network, Nickelodeon. Burleson’s role at NFL Network, where he also works, will also expand.

This is obviously a big move for Burleson, who has proven to be a very versatile broadcasting talent. From contributing to Good Morning Football’s success to his work on The NFL Today to turning in a fantastic performance on Nickelodeon’s broadcast of the Bears-Saints playoff game this year, he’s demonstrated his ability to be fun, loose, and informative on the air. That’s clearly what CBS is hoping to do here with This Morning, long a much more staid version of a network morning show than Today or Good Morning America.

[Variety]

About Jay Rigdon

Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.