CBS will start The NFL Today and Super Bowl 58 pregame coverage at 2 p.m. ET. The host is James Brown, along with analysts Phil Simms, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason, and Nate Burleson. J.J. Watt, who has made some appearances on the pregame show this season, will also join the set.
Who Is on The NFL Today?
Brown has been the host of The NFL Today since 2006 after moving to CBS from FOX, where he hosted the NFL pregame show for 12 seasons. Brown was elected into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2020 and is a founding partner of the MLB’s Washington Nationals.
Simms, who has been with CBS since 1998, was a game analyst from 1998 to 2016 before joining The NFL Today in 2017. He was replaced on the lead announcer team when the network hired Tony Romo in 2017.
Simms, who played quarterback at Morehead State, was the No. 7 pick by the New York Giants in 1979. He started 159 games and made two Pro Bowls in his 15-year career with New York.
Cowher has been on the crew since 2007 when he retired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He attended NC State and went on to play linebacker for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
Cowher started his coaching career as a defensive assistant with the Browns and became the Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator in 1989. The Steelers hired him in 1992 to replace Chuck Noll.
As the Steelers’ head coach, Cowher went 161-99-1, including the playoffs, with 10 postseason appearances in 15 seasons. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Esiason joined The NFL Today in February 2002 as a studio analyst after being a game analyst on Monday Night Football for two seasons. He’s also been the host of a morning radio show on WFAN (New York) since 2007.
Esiason played quarterback at Maryland and was drafted in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984. He won the 1988 NFL MVP and was named to three of his four Pro Bowls during his 10 seasons with the Bengals. Esiason finished his 14-year career with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.
Burleson, who has been on The NFL Today since 2017, signed a new contract in 2021 to include being a host of “CBS This Morning.” He came to CBS from the NFL Network, where he was a host of “Good Morning Football.” Burleson will be part of the Nickelodeon alternate broadcast of today’s Super Bowl.
Burleson played wide receiver at Nevada and was a third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2003. He had 457 receptions and 39 touchdown catches in 11 seasons with the Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions.
Watt joined the show this year and has appeared as a studio analyst at different points of the season. He retired last season after a 12-year career with the Houston Texans and Cardinals.
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Watt played at Wisconsin before the Texans drafted him 11th overall in 2011. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and was named to five Pro Bowls.
Jonathan Jones is the NFL Insider on The NFL Today and has been at CBS since 2018. He worked at Sports Illustrated and the Charlotte Observer before arriving at CBS.
The New York Post reported last month that several members of the show are in the final year of their contracts. CBS has not decided on who will return next season.
The NFL Today Crew’s Super Bowl Experience
Brown is hosting his 11th Super Bowl, with seven at CBS and four at FOX.
Simms finished his 1986 season by setting a Super Bowl record of completing 88% of his passes (22-25). He added three touchdowns to earn MVP honors as the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos. Simms was also the Giants’ starting QB in 1990 but missed the team’s championship run because of an injury.
As a broadcaster, Simms was the game analyst for seven Super Bowls, working with Greg Gumbel and Jim Nantz.
Cowher led the 1995 and 2005 Steelers to the Super Bowl when he was head coach. In Super Bowl XXX, Pittsburgh lost to the Dallas Cowboys, but the Steelers won their next appearance against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
Esiason led the 1988 Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII against the San Francisco 49ers. He completed 11 of 25 passes for 144 yards with one interception.
In the final four minutes, Esiason moved the Bengals down the field for a go-ahead field goal. However, Joe Montana responded with a 92-yard touchdown drive that ended with a game-winning pass in the final 40 seconds.
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Burleson and Watt, meanwhile, have never appeared in a Super Bowl.
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