Getty Image / Mark Goldman
For millennials like myself, we’ve never really known NFL coverage on CBS without Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason. The two star quarterbacks of the 1980’s were synonymous with the network’s NFL coverage.
But, CBS decided to part ways with the two icons last week. Now, they’ve selected someone new to take the place of both of them on CBS NFL Today.
Here’s more from Awful Announcing.
There are big changes ahead for CBS’ NFL studio show, The NFL Today. Long-time analysts Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms are both exiting, and Matt Ryan is moving from game analyst work to the studio. Fellow analysts Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson will remain, as will host James Brown, and analyst JJ Watt (who will continue to work a part-time schedule).
Bringing in Matt Ryan makes a lot of sense, given the makeup of the panel as it is now. James Brown is a fantastic host, and Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson are also great analysts. But, so much of the modern game revolves around the quarterback. After losing Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms there was a giant hole in terms of quarterback analysis on the panel.
Insert Matt Ryan. Matty Ice was one of the best quarterbacks of the 2010s, and won the NFL MVP in 2016. That year, he led the Falcons all the way to the Super Bowl, where they took a 28-3 lead against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. I don’t think Falcons fans have to be reminded of how that went.
He could even find himself in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s going to be close, but over 60,000 passing yards, 383 touchdowns, and an MVP award is a pretty convincing resume
Matt Ryan last played in the NFL in 2022, where he spent a lone season with the Indianapolis Colts after fourteen seasons in Atlanta. He didn’t announce his official retirement until after the 2023 season. That makes him eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2029.
Even though he wasn’t officially retired, Matt Ryan spent last season as an in-game and studio analyst for CBS.