Two longtime broadcasters are out and being replaced by new blood.
CBS on Monday announced major changes to its long-running “The NFL Today” show. Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason will no longer be part of the team and Matt Ryan, a former NFL MVP quarterback who officially retired last week, is joining the team.
Ryan, who spent 15 seasons in the NFL, will team up with J.J. Watt, James Brown, Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson for the weekly show. Watt a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, joined CBS last year while Ryan worked for the network during the playoffs last season.
“Matt had an outstanding first year at CBS Sports, excelling as both a studio and game analyst,” CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson said in a statement. “He is the consummate team player and a Hall of Fame person. We love the chemistry he has with the studio crew and we’re excited to see him entertain NFL fans and share his passion, insight and perspective alongside JB, Nate, Coach and JJ.”
Simms, 68, spent 15 years as a quarterback in the NFL, all with the New York Giants. He won a pair of Super Bowl and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection before joining CBS in 1998. Sims was a lead analyst but moved to the studio in 2017 after being replaced by Tony Romo.
“Great 26 yrs run with CBS SPORTS,” Simms wrote on social media. “Even though that part of my career is over I look forward to what is next.”
Esiason, 63, was a star quarterback who spent 14 years in the NFL while playing for three different teams. He was named All-Pro four times during a career that included stops with the Bengals, Jets and Cardinals. Esiason spent the last 22 years at CBS and will continue working on New York’s WFAN morning radio show.
“More their decision than maybe mine,” Esiason said Monday morning on WFAN, “but I really thought that the Super Bowl was my swan song.”
Following a standout career at Boston College, Ryan was the No. 3 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2008 NFL draft. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and NFL MVP in 2016 during 14 seasons in Atlanta. Ryan was traded to the Colts in 2022 and benched during a disappointing final season in the NFL.