Matt Simms reflects on his father Phil’s CBS exit: ‘He really was a trendsetter’

Phil Simms being ousted from CBS’s NFL coverage marked the end of an era for the network.

While some like Michael Kay hoped that CBS didn’t “dump” Simms (and Boomer Esiason) because of their age, both being effectively replaced by Matt Ryan and sometimes J.J. Watt, Simms felt at peace with what happened. CBS’s silence on his exit was a bit telling in itself, but he’s happier than ever, so he says.

But did CBS treat him fairly?

His son, Matt, tried to offer some perspective during an appearance on the You Know I’m Right podcast while coloring in the details of the emotional toll of the exit.

“Do you ever part ways with someone that you’ve been working with for almost two decades? Does it ever end exactly the way you wanted it to? No,” said Matt, a Tennessee Volunteers product and former New York Jets QB. “I remember when it was the early stages of him being let go by CBS, I was talking with my mother and she’s like, ‘Gosh, I wish it could’ve ended differently.’ But there was also the fact that he’s been doing this now with CBS for 23 years.

“And the fact that he could say that — and really be the first to ever be a player then media guy analyst for the extended period of time he was — I mean, I’m sure no one will really… Like other guys that’ve done it in the past, like [Joe] Namath, he had tried; a few others, but the fact that Big Phil was able to do it for as long as a period of time to cover as many Super Bowl’s as he’s done, he really was a trendsetter. He’s what made it possible for all these guys, the [Greg] Olsen’s of the world; the Tom Brady’s of the world, for them, to be basically from the field right into it.”

Matt said part of that is because ‘Big Phil,’ as he lovingly calls his father, was a “trailblazer that way” in showing that you can be a player and then go into the media. And your passion, love and education for the game doesn’t have to end the minute you hang up your helmet for good.

“Hey, would it have been nice to have a parade and all that and throw bouquets of roses at him and celebrate? No doubt,” added Matt. “But, I think his career speaks for itself. He’s an absolute titan of the game of football. He should be a Hall of Famer.”

Though his departure from CBS may not have been the storybook ending some hoped for, Phil Simms hasn’t disappeared. He’s kept busy with weekly spots on WFAN during the NFL season, started a podcast with Matt, and even joined Ian Eagle on radio broadcasts for Thursday Night Football.

So, while his exit from a network he spent over two decades with may have been rocky and far from the ideal farewell, Phil has remained in the same content space.

And that mantle extends to both of his sons, Matt and Chris.