In today’s NFL-centric media environment, news surrounding NFL broadcast crews is often treated with as much or even more publicity than certain free agent signings. So when CBS announced last week that Ian Eagle, the network’s No. 2 NFL play-by-play voice, would be getting a new partner this season, it was met with a hefty news cycle.
Eagle will now call games alongside three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, moving from a part-time role in the CBS NFL studio to a full-time game analyst. On his way out is Charles Davis, who has called games with Eagle since 2020 and will be moved to a lower NFL broadcast team this year before taking Gary Danielson’s job as the lead college football analyst for CBS in 2026.
This season won’t be the first time Eagle and Watt have called a game together. The duo called a Christmas Day game together for Netflix last season, Watt’s first in the broadcast booth. That one game was enough to earn CBS’s confidence and go all-in on an Eagle-Watt team.
But interestingly, Eagle, who joined CBS in 1998, was never informed that a change was coming. Appearing on the SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast, the No. 2 play-by-play man was asked if CBS approached him beforehand to discuss Watt.
“No. No. No, no, no, no,” Eagle answered before pivoting to praise his old partner, Davis. “I think what I’ve learned about this business is you have partnerships that turn into friendships. So, these become very personal. And Charles and I worked the last five years together…Charles is a great guy, great broadcaster. We had a long conversation after the news came down. I think he’s going to be in a great spot when the smoke clears. He’s done college football; he’s done it at the highest level. He’s done a national championship when he was at Fox. So, I don’t think it’s going to be a difficult transition for him. But there’s personal stuff there. And that becomes the hardest part.”
Someone with Eagle’s talent can work with almost anyone and be great, but it’s hard to believe that there wasn’t at least a conversation between him and CBS brass about a potential change-up, if only to discuss how he thought the Christmas game he called with Watt went and if he believed there was some chemistry.
Eagle has immense respect for Davis. The duo was consistently one of the best NFL announcing teams in the business, ranking No. 5 in Awful Announcing’s latest NFL announcer rankings and earning the title of “least-hated” NFL broadcast booth.
However, there’s a new CBS No. 2 booth, and Eagle is excited about it.
“He is really smart and he’s well-versed, not just in football but in pop culture. He knows what’s going on out there, entertainment-wise. You want to quote a movie, he can go down that road with you. So I just think there’s going to be a playful side to it that will naturally develop over time.”