'NFL Today' Host James Brown Misses His Two Longtime Coworkers
10/28/2024 12:41 PM
Longtime CBS host James Brown is missing his two longtime coworkers.
"NFL Today" on CBS had a major shakeup this year. J.J. Watt and Matt Ryan were added to the show in full-time roles, joining Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason were ousted from the program in a major shakeup. Brown, who has been part of CBS Sports for 18 years, admitted to Jimmy Traina on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast that he misses his colleagues.
"Flat out, yes, [I miss them]," Brown, 73, said. "Boomer and Phil were integral in terms of what we have done and the relationships we had [at 'NFL Today']."
Brown spoke incredibly highly of both Simms and Esiason, who were two of the hardest working men in the business.
"Nobody worked harder than Phil Simms in knowing all the Xs and Os, he's a gym rat in that regard," Brown told Sports Illustrated. "Boomer Esiason could talk [about] any aspect of it, because he's well-rounded on sports in general. [He] Brought a lot of value."
Brown, though, credited CBS for how they handled the decision.
"[I've got] to give CBS a tip of the hat," he said. "How many teams have you seen with some veterans who performed well, but at some point … you've got the young talent that you're bringing in."
Brown added that he believes Ryan and Watt have handled things well, too.
"To their credit, J.J. Watt and Matt Ryan recognize that, and we have acknowledged that, at least in the first couple weeks of the show," Brown said, according to Awful Announcing. "But we all know we're there to do a job and deliver what leadership wanted to get out of this move and deliver what they were expecting."
