Boomer Esiason, a four-time Pro Bowler and Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor member, is leaving CBS amid a tumultuous run on “The NFL Today.”
CBS announced in April that Phil Simms would also not be returning to the long-running pregame show.
Matt Ryan and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt join “The NFL Today” crew. Last month, Ryan officially retired from the NFL. He last played in the league in 2022 and was called up for a game on 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 will be leaving CBS Sports, he seems happy with his job and feels it’s the right time to take the next step.
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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, Missouri. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I was happy to leave. I was able to have my time there,” Esiason, 63, said in an interview on “The Dan Lebatard Show.”
“I loved that seat. I cherished that seat. I cherished talking to football fans every Sunday, but there comes a time when you have to find time for yourself. And this was the time.”
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Esiason confirmed on WFAN that he is leaving CBS, but will remain on the station and work with 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/Wire Image)
Esiason said he did not speak on-air during the network’s 2024 Super Bowl coverage, but he is also looking forward to enjoying a better work-life balance.
“When Sean McManus, who hired me in 2002, announced his retirement as chairman of CBS Sports, it felt like the natural thing to do,” Esiason said. “I wanted to say something at the Super Bowl. I didn’t think it was appropriate. I knew Phil (Sims) didn’t want to retire from this show. I was ready. 22 years. Never been like that. It was my first weekend in 40 years…it was a great run for me. ”
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Esiason said he enjoyed working at CBS and appears to be leaving the company on good terms.
“Not once did anyone at CBS, not my bosses, not my producers, not my directors, ever come to me and say, ‘Maybe you should stop making that kind of criticism,'” Esiason said. . “There’s been a lot of controversial topics in the NFL over the last 20 years that we’ve had to deal with. That’s why I really enjoyed my time in the NFL. I don’t have any ill will towards anyone.”
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