Ian Eagle will have a new partner for CBS’s NFL coverage in J.J. Watt.
On Wednesday, Gary Danielson announced his retirement after an unparalleled 36-season run as a college football analyst, making him the longest-tenured in television history. CBS quickly named Charles Davis as his successor, pairing him with Brad Nessler in the lead college football booth starting in 2026. That move, however, would leave Eagle without a partner for his NFL broadcasts.
So, who steps in?
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, it’ll be J.J. Watt — starting in the 2025 season.
Watt confirmed the news himself on social media.
Before joining CBS as a studio analyst in 2023, J.J. Watt had expressed interest in a limited TV role. Marchand previously reported that Watt was seeking a ManningCast-style schedule rather than a full-time commitment. However, it now appears he’s ready to take on a bigger role in the booth alongside Eagle.
For now, Davis will remain with the NFL on CBS for the 2025 season before shifting to the network’s college football coverage, though he will seemingly be reassigned with Watt joining Eagle in the booth.
‘The Bird’ is as versatile as they come, capable of working seamlessly with just about anyone. There were other internal candidates who made sense, including Jason McCourty and Nate Burleson. But Watt, who called Netflix’s Christmas Day game alongside Eagle and Burleson and ranked No. 10 in Awful Announcing’s NFL announcer rankings, ultimately got the nod.
“There is nothing better than the energy and excitement of being in the stadium on game day in the NFL,” said Watt in the accompanying CBS announcement. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to return to that atmosphere each week, working with one of the best in Ian. While I certainly miss delivering hits on the field, it will be nice to leave the stadium without taking any unless Ian decides to try something crazy.”
CBS Sports President and CEO David Berson added: “JJ is one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL,and a future Hall of Famer. Over the last two years – as a studio analyst and on social media – he’s connected with fans through his passion, insight, and desire to truly have fun. We can’t wait for him to now bring that same energy to the booth alongside Ian.”
With Watt now a game analyst, it will be interesting to see what happens with Eagle’s future. There’s been speculation that he could be a candidate to replace Al Michaels on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football. Michaels is operating on a year-to-year basis with Prime Video, and with Eagle already set to be the voice of Amazon’s NBA coverage, a full-time move to the streamer wouldn’t be shocking in the years ahead.
However, CBS may have a strong incentive to keep him. Eagle is the face of the network’s March Madness coverage, and any potential departure would leave CBS with a major hole to fill across multiple sports.
Regardless of what happens beyond 2025, we know for sure that J.J. Watt will be in the booth with Ian Eagle when the NFL on CBS kicks off this fall.