James Brown is missing two old faces on the “NFL Today” schedule.
During a recent appearance on the “SI Media with Jimmy Traina” podcast, Brown — an 18-year veteran of the CBS show — lamented his teammates Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason, who exited “NFL Today” as part of a major shakeup earlier this General. year.
“Directly, yes.” [I miss them]Brown (73 years old) said. “Boomer and Phil were an integral part of what we did and the relationships we had [at ‘NFL Today’]”.
James Brown (left) with Phil Sims in January 2016. Getty Images
Sims, 68, and Esiason, 63, announced their departures from CBS in April, months after The Post reported that a change might be on the horizon.
JJ Watt, 35, and former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, 39, joined the panel with Brown, Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson.
“It’s more their decision than mine,” Esiason, who has been an analyst on the CBS show since 2002, said of the network at the time.
(From left) Phil Simms, James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Boomer Eisson on the “NFL Today” panel. CBS
Sims, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the Giants, has been part of the program since 2017.
“No one has tried harder than Phil Simms to know all the Xs and Os, he’s a sports rat in that regard,” Brown told Sports Illustrated. “Boomer Esiason can talk [about] Any aspect of that, because he has good experience in the sport in general. [He] “It brought a lot of value.”
Although the decision was difficult, Brown credited network executives for the way the matter was handled.
“[I’ve got] “To give CBS a tip of the hat,” he said. “How many teams have you seen with some veteran players who have done well, but at some point… you have the young talent you bring in.”
Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms exited “NFL Today” after the 2023 NFL season. Getty Images for Breitling
Brown, who expressed his “sadness” over the exit of Sims and Esiason in May, praised Watt and Ryan for their appreciation for those filling their shoes.
“To JJ Watt and Matt Ryan’s credit, they recognize that, and we acknowledged that, at least in the first two weeks of the show,” Brown said, according to the terrible announcement. “But we all knew we were there to do a job and deliver what the leadership wanted to get out of this move and deliver what they expected.”
Simms and Esiason are staying busy elsewhere.
Esiason hosts the beloved sports radio show “Boomer and Gio” in New York on WFAN and Simms joined Fox for Giants preseason football coverage. He also hosts a podcast with his son, former NFL quarterback Matt Sims.
