The NFL free agency season is so active that even broadcasters are getting in on the action, as Merrill Reese agreed to a multiyear extension to continue as the radio voice of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The legendary play-by-play voice joined the Eagles flagship radio station SportsRadio94WIP for the announcement, where the news was enough to get morning host Angelo Cataldi on-air for a rare Wednesday appearance.
Big announcement from @mreeseeagles !!#BirdsTownHall pic.twitter.com/MATsxmXX3B
— WIP Morning Show (@WIPMorningShow) March 16, 2022
“I can tell you, I will never willingly retire,” Reese told Cataldi in front of WIP’s live audience. “They will have to remove me with a crane because this is what I love during more than anything else in the world.”
The extension for Reese is reportedly a three-year deal, which aligns with Audacy’s current broadcast rights agreement to keep the Eagles on WIP through the 2024 season. Audacy is the parent company of WIP.
While Reese will apparently never willingly retire, Cataldi previously announced 2022 will be his 33rd and final year as WIP’s morning host. In January, Cataldi began a reduced schedule, taking Wednesdays off. But this Wednesday, Cataldi was on-air for the 2022 Birds Town Hall, which included Reese’s big announcement.
The 79-year-old Reese has been synonymous with the Eagles since joining the team as a radio announcer in 1977. Originally hired as an analyst, Reese was thrust into the Eagles play-by-play position just two weeks into the 1977 NFL season. 45 years later, Reese’s impressive run with the Eagles makes him the the longest tenured play-by-play announcer in the NFL.
[Audacy, The Philadelphia Inquirer]
