CBS announced last month that two former quarterbacks, Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason, will not return to the network for the 2024 NFL season.
Instead, Matt Ryan and JJ Watt will work full time. Ryan called games for the network last year, while Watt made appearances during the 2023 season.
The New York Giants legend talked about receiving the boot and said it seemed like the writing was on the wall.
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“NFL Today” on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. (Gail Schulman/CBS via Getty Images)
“It wasn't a big surprise,” he admitted to Front Office Sports. “I knew there would probably be some change or I thought there would be. So I think that makes it a little bit easier.
“Would I have liked to keep the job? Of course. I mean, damn. I didn't like it, I loved it. We talked about football and hung out and maybe when we go to commercials, you can actually tell what it is.” “You love the guys you're working with, but in the meetings, everything. But it was a fun job, a great job, and now you move on to something else.”
Phil Simms attends the 2022 Paramount Upfront at 666 Madison Avenue on May 18, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic)
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How did Simms know there would be a change? Well, he says that he hadn't heard from anyone at the network for “a couple of months” after his contract expired.
“No one asked me, talked to me or anything like that. I guess I waited a couple of months to see what CBS was doing, and I think the longer you wait, the more you know it's not going to work in your favor,” Sims said.
Simms had previously been the network's lead commentator besides Jim Nantz, but was replaced by Tony Romo in 2017 and then moved to the studio.
Former NFL player Phil Simms attends SiriusXM's Day 3 at Super Bowl LIV on January 31, 2020 in Miami. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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Simms was in the network for 26 years after becoming a Big Blue legend. He helped the 1986 G-Men to their first Super Bowl victory, going 22 for 25 in Super Bowl XLI against the Denver Broncos. His 88.0 completion percentage and 150.9 quarterback rating in that game remain NFL records.
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