Russell Wilson won’t be the only new addition to CBS’s top NFL pregame show at The NFL Today as Kyle Long is also getting called up to the main set.
The two new analysts will join the returning trio of host James Brown and fellow analysts Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. They will replace the outgoing Matt Ryan, who left CBS Sports to join the Atlanta Falcons, bringing the show back up to four analysts after J.J. Watt wasn’t replaced following the 2024 season when he moved to the broadcast booth with Ian Eagle.
The news of Wilson and Long’s additions was shared on Burleson’s weekday show CBS Mornings.
Russell Wilson is the brand new star attraction after announcing his retirement from the NFL. After weighing up a decision whether to return to the New York Giants or begin a career in the media, the former Super Bowl champion chose to begin his second career in broadcasting. Wilson was highly sought after given his star power and profile as a top quarterback in the game for a number of years with the Seahawks.
Although his career probably didn’t end in the way that anyone expected after his tumultuous in Denver and stops in Pittsburgh and New York, the CBS role allows him a fresh start and the opportunity to build something new.
Kyle Long has taken a different journey to The NFL Today as a former offensive lineman, which is not the traditional path towards any top media jobs in football unless your last name is Kelce or Madden.
Long made three Pro Bowl appearances in his time with the Chicago Bears before retiring after a knee injury. Over the last few years he’s been a part of CBS’s NFL coverage working for CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ at That Other Pregame Show and The NFL Today+. He then worked the main network set for the postseason last year alongside Kirk Cousins after Ryan’s immediate departure. In his time as an analyst, Long has impressed with his insights, presence, and personality. And it’s a deserving call up to the main network’s pregame show.
It will also ensure that an entirely new generation will get to see a member of the Long family on Sunday pregame shows as Kyle Long will now compete with his father Howie, who has been a fixture at Fox NFL Sunday ever since their debut in 1994.
Kyle Long and Russell Wilson will certainly provide a new look for The NFL Today and it’ll be interesting to see how quickly they are able to gel alongside the remaining longtime cast members.
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