In the hard-nosed world of NFL media, there’s a lot more churn and turnover than you think. This sentiment even applies to the established former professionals who actually played the game at its highest level.
In advance of the 2024 NFL season, CBS restructured its lead studio show, The NFL Today, to include former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and former Houston Texans pass-rusher J.J. Watt. That meant the network said goodbye to long-time panelists and NFL legends Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms, whose respective contracts weren’t renewed.
Before taking a break, host James Brown made sure to acknowledge all the success the show has had by properly shouting out Esiason and Simms’ roles. Naturally, the entire panel agreed that they “missed them” in a classy moment:
James Brown and the NFL Today crew give a shoutout to Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms : “We miss them.” 🏈📺 https://t.co/tZP7drAYaA pic.twitter.com/qr0ICb6bVA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024
It’s a cold world out there. But if you’re Esiason and Simms, it’s probably nice knowing your old friends still appreciate you even if you don’t work for them anymore.