Four-time Pro Bowler and cincinnati bengals Ring of Honor member Boomer Esiason is leaving CBS amid turmoil at “The NFL Today.”
Phil Simms also will not return to the long-running pregame show, CBS announced in April.
matt ryan And three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt will join “The NFL Today” crew. Last month, Ryan officially retired from the NFL. He last played in the league in 2022 and called games for CBS last season.
James Brown will return as host of the show along with former Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson and Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Cowher. Although Esiason is leaving CBS Sports, he is satisfied with his work and feels it is the right time to move on.
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CBS Sports analyst Boomer Esiason before the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 30, 2022 in Kansas City. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I was very happy to step aside. I enjoyed my time there,” Esiason, 63, said during an interview on “The Dan LeBard Show.”
“I loved that seat. I loved that seat. I loved talking to football fans every Sunday, but there comes a time when you have to take some time for yourself. And this was the right time.”
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Esiason confirmed His CBS exit at WFAN, but he will remain at the radio station and work with his co-host Greg Gianotti.
Boomer Esiason attends the 2022 Paramount Upfront at 666 Madison Avenue on May 18, 2022 in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/WireImage)
Esiason said he avoided saying anything on-air during the network 2024 super bowl coverage, but it appears he’s also eager to enjoy a better work-life balance.
Esiason said, “When Sean McManus, who hired me in 2002, announced his retirement as president of CBS Sports, I felt like it was a natural thing to do.” “I wanted to say something at the Super Bowl. I didn’t think it was appropriate. I knew Phil (Simms) didn’t want to retire from this particular show. I was ready. Twenty-two years. I haven’t done that in 40 years. A weekend in…For me, it was great.”
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Esiason said he enjoyed his time working at CBS and it looks like he is leaving on good terms.
Esiason said, “Not a single person at CBS, not a single boss, not a single producer, not a single director came to me and said, ‘Maybe you should step back from this kind of criticism.’ “We’ve had to deal with a lot of controversial topics in the NFL over the last 20 years. So, I really enjoyed my time there. I have no ill will toward anyone.”
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