The 2025 Awful Announcing NFL announcer rankings

How have the various national TV broadcast teams done calling the 2025 NFL season so far? We asked Awful Announcing readers to weigh in, and they did, with more than 2,800 people responding (up from more than 2,400 last season).

As with our NFL rankings last year and all of our other rankings (CFB, NHL, NBA, MLB, and more), we asked readers to grade booths from A to F and, if desired, provide comments on individual teams. We then converted the letter grades from those responses to numerical grades, assigning A = 4 and F = 0, and ranked the booths by average grade.

The average grade this year was 2.34, down from last year’s 2.43 (which itself was below the 2.49 in 2023 and the 2.64 in 2022).  As for the network breakdowns, the six CBS teams averaged a 2.29 (down from 2.51 last year), while the six Fox booths averaged a 2.45 (down from 2.36). The three ESPN/ABC teams (counting the ManningCast) averaged a 2.47, down from a 2.73 for that group last season. NFL Network’s one team received a 1.72 (their three exclusive teams averaged a 1.97 last year), while Prime Video’s booth drew a 2.63 (versus 2.77 last season) and NBC’s team drew a 3.17 (similar to last year’s 3.13).

Without further ado, let’s get to the grades and selected reader comments (sometimes lightly edited for spelling and grammar).

18. Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth (Fox): 1.41

Most common grade: F (37.1 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 50.6 percent

This team placed 24th of 25 teams last year, ahead of only the Madden altcast, so their relative ranking didn’t change much. However, their numerical grade fell significantly from last year’s 1.68. That was mostly thanks to them receiving 192 Fs (the highest in this poll).

In the comments, there was some praise for the duo. That included “Chris is solid, and Schlereth is fantastic,” “Considering the terrible games they consistently get, they do a hell of a job,” “an underrated pairing that should be calling bigger games,” “smart, veteran announcers,” and “pretty solid duo.” Beyond that, many liked one but not the other. For Myers, that included lines such as “I don’t get the disrespect Myers gets, as he is a veteran announcer and calls a decent game. Schlereth should be back with Adam Amin as they were paired better together” (on a B grade), “Chris deserves better games and we deserve Mark to go do podcasts” (on a C grade), and “I don’t like Schlereth, Myers is ok” (on a D grade). On the other side of the coin, comments included “Schlereth gets an A. Meyers is not good” (on a B grade), “Love Mark, Myers is slow and dull” (on a C grade), and “Myers has lost his excitement! Schlereth is carrying” (on a D grade).

However, the overriding sentiment in the comments was distaste for both announcers. Some remarks there included “Absolutely horrendous, both are an F,” “2002 called and they want their booth back,” “This feels like a booth from 1991 doing a Jack Trudeau vs. Steve Grogan Colts/Patriots game,” “might be my least favorite booth in any sport,” and “Chris Myers lets you know you’re watching the week’s worst game.” And one reader took particular exception to Myers’ call of Cam Little’s 68-yard field goal for the regular season record, saying “Myers completely messed up the call.”

17. Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta (CBS): 1.59

Most common grade: F (43.6 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 29.9 percent

This group placed 21st of 25 last year, but the only ones below them were Myers/Schlereth, two NFLN one-off booths, and the Maddencast, so they’re in the same relative position.  Their numerical grade took a big hit from last year’s 1.91, though, largely thanks to drawing 285 Fs.

The comments did have some strong praise for this booth. That included “One of the most underrated announcer crews,” “Very underrated team. Wish we could see them call a good NFL game and not the Jets and Bengals every week,” “Great chemistry, Dedes has improved greatly with great balance on some big calls this year,”  and “Feel like they get better every year!”

There was also more individual praise for Dedes than for Archuleta. That included “I’ve always loved Spero Dedes, I think he should be at least a spot higher in CBS’s hierarchy,” “Dedes = A” (on a C grade), and “Like Spero but hate Archuleta!” (also on a C grade). But others found Dedes “insufferable” or “unbearable,” and Archuleta took his own flak, including “very repetitive,” “misses names on occasion,” and “consistently is wrong and talks too much.” One found Archuleta “one of the best color guys on Sunday,” though, and the comments overall carried about a 50-50 split between praise and criticism, making them much more positive than the overall numerical grade.

16. Adam Amin/Drew Brees (Fox): 1.64

Most common grade: C and F (31.6 percent of votes each)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 61.5 percent

This was the toughest group to figure out who to ask readers about, as Amin worked most of his games with Mark Sanchez before Sanchez’s legal troubles and firing, then worked with a variety of short-term replacements, and now looks to be paired with Brees for at least the rest of the season. We went with Brees, considering that that’s the planned booth from now on, but at the time of this poll, Brees and Amin had only worked one game together. With that in mind, the comments for this team carried some significant differentiation between the two voices, as we’ll discuss below.

Last year, Amin and Sanchez placed 17th of 25 teams with a 2.02 grade, ahead of four weekly booths. So this is quite a drop for Amin, both in relative position and in numerical grade. This booth saw 166 Fs.

In the comments, there were some plaudits for the duo in their one game together (Packers-Giants) at the time of this poll. That included “did a great job,” “better than expected,” and “Adam does a good job, Drew is better than before.” There were also a lot of individual compliments for Amin, such as “great,” “solid and underrated,” “a pro,” “one of the most underrated in PBP,” “might be the best football PBP voice on Fox’s roster right now,” and even “the top broadcaster in all of sports right now.” And several praised the job he’s done working with so many different partners this year, and noted they’d give a higher grade if the booth didn’t involve Brees. A few also expressed that they missed Sanchez and his chemistry with Amin. But there were some Amin critics also, offering lines like “a net negative,” “mixes up names pretty frequently,” and “has really slipped.”

As for Brees, the feedback on his first game back in an analyst role was mixed. Some offered notable compliments, including “really good in his debut, better than Tom Brady was.” Some offered fainter praise, such as “Better than Buttfumble (obviously a low bar to surpass).” Several respondents said Brees did better here than in the past and can improve further, and that the lower pressure here, compared with the NBC playoff game where he made his NFL analyst debut, may help him. But there was a lot of criticism for him, including “arrogant,” “awful analyst,” and “still awful.” And several questioned the decision to give him this shot, saying things such as “Just because you’re a HOF QB doesn’t mean you should be a color guy” and “Who asked for Drew Brees back? Certainly not me!”

15. Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick (ESPN/ABC): 1.66

Most common grade: F (31.9 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 56.7 percent

Aside from the new Amin/Brees group and the NFL Network team, this is the team here that’s actually called the fewest games in 2025. They only get involved when Monday Night Football has two games (four times this season, all of which have already happened). Last year, they finished 13th of 25 teams with a 2.17 and received a most common grade of B, so this is a notable drop for them in both positioning and numerical grade.

These comments prompted many people to criticize one of the three figures. Some of the lines there included “Leave Louis out and it would be a much higher grade” (on a D grade), “Louis is offensive and is like chalk on a blackboard at times,” “It baffles me how anyone can take Dan Orlovsky seriously. What credibility does a guy who went 0-16 and whose signature moment in the NFL was running out the back of the end zone have?”, “Loathe Orlovsky,” “Dan Orlovsky makes me wish I was deaf,” “Fowler is better in a studio setting,” and “I feel like Chris Fowler has little energy compared to college games.” However, each of them also drew individual praise, such as “Orlovsky is outstanding with the X’s and O’s,” “Riddick is a star and should have a bigger audience,” and “Fowler is the best.”

There was a variety of overall criticism for this team, too. One reader noted, “There’s always sound issues with this tandem,” one said, “These guys are brain-poisoned by the ESPN Hot Take Machine,” and others added, “Hard to have chemistry when you hardly work together,” and “They need more reps.” But the most common negative feedback was about the three-man setup here, with many noting they hate that in general, but some specifically added that it especially doesn’t work with this group. Lines there included “Three people that just do not work well together,” “It’s like Orlovsky and Riddick are competing to try and use bigger words than the other guy,” and “Like listening to three people make small talk at a work conference.” That wasn’t universal, though; one reader opined, “Fowler is solid, but Riddick and Orlovsky really stand out. They provide complementary perspectives. If you must have a 3-man booth, then this is as good as it gets.”

14. Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma (Fox): 1.66

Most common grade: F (45.4 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 46.2 percent

The Albert/Vilma duo narrowly edged the Fowler/Orlovsky/Riddick booth, 1.660 to 1.655. They did so despite fewer As and more Fs, but quite a few more Bs.

In the comments here, the booth in general took criticism for their nine-minute in-booth interview with President Donald Trump on Nov. 9. Remarks there included “They were average until the Trump interview. Can never listen to a game they’re calling the same” (on a F grade), “B except when trump was in the booth” (on a B grade), “Giving Velma a F after the Trump interview” (on a D grade), “They didn’t handle the president’s time in the booth the greatest—full-on politics aside, they just let him comment on the game, which I feel like isn’t the best protocol if you’re having the SITTING PRESIDENT in the booth,” and “Too much Trump, too much 6-7” (on a D grade, and we’ll get to the 6-7 part more below). One respondent did say, “Feel bad they had to interview the President, that looked rough.”

Beyond that, there was a lot of flak for Vilma in particular, including his repeated “6-7” references. Some of the remarks there were “talks way too much, never shuts up, and says things that don’t need to be said,” “lacks depth and tries too hard to be witty, which often fails,” “too cliché-happy,” ” constantly mispronounces names or calls people by the wrong names,” “Vilma tries to be relevant (using 6-7), but he just sounds like an old fool trying to be young,” and “he’s had three or four years to be a decent NFL analyst and he just isn’t. Blow it up and move on.” (Vilma is in his sixth season as an NFL on Fox analyst, all with Albert.) And many others noted they preferred Albert over Vilma, with lines such as “Kenny is great, Vilma is not” (on a C grade) and “Kenny Albert is an A, but Vilma has no idea what he’s watching most of the time” (on a B grade).

Albert did take some heat of his own. That included “will always be the mutant offspring of broadcasting royalty and brings nothing to a broadcast,” “bland,” and “sounds like he has a sock in his mouth.” But many offered praise for him, including “a world-class play-by-play announcer,” “The most talented and well-prepared announcer in the entire business, with the probable exception of Joe Buck,” “great, holds the interest and information to viewers,” and “rock-solid, as he is on hockey; deserves better.” And some liked Vilma (“very conversational,” “I love JV”), and others liked the overall booth (“underrated and exceptional,” “solid team, should rank higher than they will). This was a case where the comments were generally more positive than the numerical grades.

13. Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner (NFL Network, one YouTube game): 1.72

Most common grade: F (32.6 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 55.4 percent

Eisen and Warner have been NFL Network’s most consistent and prominent booth. They also called YouTube’s first exclusive game earlier this year. They received a 2.16 last year, 15th of 25 teams, so they’re another team that saw a significant year-over-year drop. Some of that was about receiving 172 Fss, but they did also get 69 A grades, propelling them above some of the teams below them.

These comments prompted several people to prefer Warner to Eisen. Lines there included “Warner’s an A++++ and Eisen should stick to studio work,” “Warner is extremely knowledgeable, but Eisen is miscast as a PBP voice,” “Warner is a very good analyst, with TV and radio experience in that role. Eisen tries, but, like Chris Berman, isn’t great as a PxP guy,” and “Eisen is not much of a play-by-play announcer, but Warner is terrific.” Numerous people said they enjoyed Eisen as a host, but not as a play-by-play voice. There was individual praise for Warner as well, including “might just be the best in the business” and “the best by far,” but also criticism like “Kurt needs to stop tweeting during the games” and “lack of insightful commentary from Warner.”

12. Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis, Jason McCourty (CBS): 1.72

Most common grade: C (31.0 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 63.7 percent

We have our first group, with C as the most common grade (Amin and Brees each received equal numbers of Cs and Fs). This booth earned 164 Cs and edged out Eisen and Warner with a 1.724 versus a 1.715.

Last season, Catalon, Tiki Barber, and McCourty earned a 1.92 and placed 20th of 25 teams, so this was an upgrade for two members of this booth in rank, but a drop in numerical grade. As for Davis, he and Ian Eagle placed fifth last year with a 3.11, but with JJ Watt shifting from the studio to the booth alongside Eagle this season, Davis was dropped down to this team in place of Barber. (We apologize for accidentally omitting McCourty from the poll listing this year, but as we’ll see, many readers did comment on him.)

In the comments, each of these figures received positive and negative remarks. Catalon drew the most praise, including “the GOAT,” “awesome,” “phenomenal,” “very underrated,” and “carries the broadcast.” But he also took some criticism, such as “C-” (on an overall C grade, which listed Davis as a B+) and “D” (on a C grade, which had Davis as an A).

The comments on Davis were about evenly split between fans (“has been so good for so long,” “tremendous,” “best and most underrated analyst”) and critics (“Catalon is very good, Davis not so much” (on a C grade), “stinks,” “talks way too much,” “only talks in clichés”). McCourty drew more criticism, including “needs work” and “an average booth dragged down by the addition of McCourty,” but also saw some people citing him as a reason for high grades. There were also several people criticizing the three-man booth idea overall, and some noted they’re eager for Davis to move to the college ranks next season.

11. Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker (CBS): 1.77

Most common grade: C (31.6 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 61.3 percent

Last year, McCarthy and Tucker drew a 1.99 in a three-man booth with Jay Feely, placing 19th of 25 teams. With Feely now running for Congress, CBS opted to have these two carry on on their own. While their numerical grade was lower this year, their relative ranking was significantly higher.

These particular comments saw a lot of damning with faint praise. Lines there included “It’s the worst CBS booth, but beats out a few Fox booths,” “Good enough to be on a low-tier 1:00 game,” and “Solid C, but proof that CBS has much better teams than Fox.”

However, some quite liked McCarthy (“very good,” “terrific”), and even more who liked Tucker (“has unique insight as a lineman,” “interesting and insightful,” “what sets him apart is his ability to convey [insight] in a way fans can both understand and relate to,” “hands down the best color analyst”). And several praised their overall chemistry. Still, each of Tucker (“buffoon,” “blowhard,” “the worst”) and McCarthy (“terrible,” “wallpaper”) took criticism as well.

10. Peyton Manning, Eli Manning (ESPN2/ESPN+): 2.43

Most common grade: A (26.9 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 73.1 percent

The first and only altcast in this year’s poll was the first booth with A as it’s most common grade. This is a bit of a drop for the Manning brothers from last season, where they placed ninth of 25 teams with a 2.71.

Comments here saw some avowed fans of this altcast. Remarks there included “This has been my go-to viewing,” “This is the future of broadcasting,” “This is the best way to watch football,” and “Best announcing format ever.” But there were some who disliked it overall, with comments including “Get the bums off my television!” and “Most pointless thing ESPN has done.” Others noted they liked the idea initially, but have lost interest in it with time, offering lines like “lost a bit of its edge,” “bloom is completely off this rose,” “has gotten stale,” “same thing every week, it’s old,” and “still amusing, but starting to feel tired.”

A key debate with the ManningCast was about the guests. Some offered lines such as “ManningCast is heavily dependent on its guests, and there haven’t been many good ones this season” (on a D grade). There was criticism for individual guests as well, like “The Bob Iger hour was a real low” and “Too many political guests distract from the broadcast. Says more about ESPN than the Manning brothers.” But the even more common sentiment was that the altcast is better when it’s just the Mannings rather than guests. One respondent who gave a B grade noted they’d bump it to an A for just the brothers, and many others said things along those lines, such as “Most guests aren’t interesting” and “Okay, but don’t enjoy the guest segments; too stilted.”

9. Kevin Burkhardt/Tom Brady (Fox): 2.59

Most common grade: B (41.6 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 84.9 percent

In his sophomore year of announcing, Brady saw a notable rise in these rankings. He and Burkhardt were 14th of 25 teams last year with a 2.11. And while their most common grade was a B rather than an A, they passed the Mannings because they had fewer Fs (36) and a higher percentage of A/B/C votes.

These comments saw more praise for Burkhardt than Brady. That included “Burkhardt is very good. Brady is not” (on a B grade), “Kevin is literally the best PBP guy out there and Tom is getting better” (on an A grade), “Burkhardt A, Brady D” (on a B grade), and “Kevin gets an A. Brady is the worst announcer!” (on a F grade). But Burkhardt had his own critics, including “Burkhardt is not good at all. Always messing up on something each week” (on a D grade) and “Burkhardt is fine, but not lead guy good” (on a C grade).

Brady continues to draw a fair bit of criticism. Some of the remarks there included “Good QB, awful commentator,” “the worst,” “dull as a butter knife, he has terrible vocabulary and has no control over his voice,” and “a tough listen still.” But many noted year-over-year improvement with him, including “getting better” and “just fine and improving.” There were still many complaining about Greg Olsen’s demotion for Brady, but the Brady remarks were more positive overall than they were in his debut season last year.

8. Al Michaels/Kirk Herbstreit (Prime Video): 2.64

Most common grade: A(32.3 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 81.0 percent

This group is in the same spot they were last year, but their numerical grade dropped from 2.77 to 2.64. They received 182 As and 154 Bs.

Much of the discussion at this booth revolved around Michaels. There was some high praise for him, including “still has the magic” and “love Al.” There were many more moderate comments, such as “Al’s week-to-week depending on the quality of the matchup,” “Al isn’t the same Al any more, but he’s still good,” and “They get a bad rap b/c people remember Al at his peak and think Herbie needs to be carried, but Al is a pro and Herbie’s actually underrated.”

However, there were also a lot of people ready for a new voice or voices here. That came with lines such as “Michaels doesn’t care anymore and needs to retire, Herbie’s a clown,” “Al is losing his fastball and Herbie feels out of place in the NFL still,” and “Put Al out to pasture and get a QB who actually did something in the NFL.” And overall, these comments were more negative than the numerical grades.

7. Jim Nantz/Tony Romo (CBS): 2.77

Most common grade: B (33.2 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 85.2 percent

This is a drop for CBS’s most prominent booth from last season, where they finished sixth of 25 teams with a 2.98. However, they beat out Michaels and Herbstreit thanks to receiving almost as many As (180) as Bs (186) and a higher percentage of A/B/C grades.

A recurring theme in the comments here was people who liked Nantz more than Romo. Lines there included “Nantz is great, but Romo is insufferable,” “Jim Nantz is good, Tony Romo needs to stop riding with Mahomes,” “Romo is dragging a legend down,” and “Poor Jim Nantz, he is great, but Romo is impossible to listen to. There isn’t a worse commentator in professional sports.” However, Nantz took some heat of his own, including “has never been a particularly good play-by-play announcer,” “lost his fastball,” and “sounds like he’d rather be golfing.”

For Romo, some of the particular criticism included “continues to regress after being one of the best early on in his career,” “sounds tired and disengaged most of the time,” and “almost Brady bad.” However, some liked him, offering lines such as “can see everything, should be a coach or GM” and “Since he hit the booth, Romo has outshined all broadcast booths since Madden.” And while several said this group has gotten worse over time, one respondent remarked, “Back to their best this season for me,” and another said, “This team is as good as ever. I don’t believe Tony is slipping at all. Look forward to all their games.”

6. Kevin Kugler/Daryl Johnston (Fox): 2.82

Most common grade: A (34.1 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 86.9 percent

This group saw a notable year-over-year jump in relative positioning, rising from 10th last year to 2.70. They received 184 As. (They would have done better still if we had not disqualified a ballot-stuffing attempt that saw more than 100 identical ballots submitted in short windows, giving this group As and several other teams Fs.)

In the comments, there were many notable plaudits for this team. That included “The most underrated duo in the league,” “Would love to hear these guys on better games,” “Highly, highly underrated,” “The team has a nice chemistry from being together for a while,” and “They actually just call the game. I appreciate that.” Other specific individual praise included “Kugler is so underrated. One of my favorites,” “Johnston needs to be appreciated more for how long he has been a solid analyst,” and “Moose is always rock solid.”

There were critics of both of these figures, too. Some lines there included “Daryl is just so annoying to listen to,” “Kugler’s cadence isn’t good,” and “Moose Johnston babbles on and on and yet provides no value.” Still, the overall comments on this duo were even more positive than the numerical grade.

5. Ian Eagle/JJ Watt (CBS): 2.86

Most common grade: B (38.3 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 90.5 percent

Eagle finished fifth in this poll last season as well, alongside Charles Davis, recording a 3.11. He also placed 10th for his Netflix Christmas Day booth with Watt and Nate Burleson, notching a 2.71 there. Despite getting more Bs (205) than As (160), this group beat out Kugler and Johnston thanks to their high number of A/B/C grades.

Many praised this duo in the comments. That included “Best overall CBS booth. Eagle is good and I think Watt is doing a nice job,” “Ian Eagle is the best in the business and JJ Watt has a Greg Olsen-like trajectory. Should already be the top CBS pair,” “This is actually the CBS A team,” and “Should be the A team. Great chemistry in only a matter of months.” Eagle drew further individual praise, such as “fantastic” and “the best-play-by-play announcer,” but some were unimpressed by Watt’s work with him to date, offering lines like “JJ Watt keeps this from being an A” (on a B grade) and “Watt has not found his voice.”

More people either liked Watt already or thought he’d grow into this role, though. Some of the lines there included “A natural in the booth,” “has been awesome providing both great analysis and comedy,” and “still a work in progress, but I think he’ll get there.” We’ll see if their grades continue to improve year over year.

4. Kevin Harlan/Trent Green (CBS): 3.01

Most common grade: B (39.7 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 93.3 percent

This duo was also fourth last season, pulling in a 3.12 in that poll. Despite being third in CBS’s internal pecking order, they remain the top booth from that network, according to AA readers. Their high percentage of A/B/C grades (second-best in this poll) was key to that. And they also received the title of AA Readers’ Least-Hated NFL Booth thanks to drawing the fewest Fs (10).

These comments saw particular plaudits for Harlan. Some remarks there were “Kevin Harlan is the GOAT. Love listening to him,” “Harlan really should be the A announcer,” “Harlan is A+++++,” “a national treasure,” “has the best voice in the NFL,” and “Harlan just gets it. Seasoned vet in the industry who can call any game on any platform (kids’ channel, radio, etc.). He’s outstanding.”

Green took a little more faint praise and criticism. That included  “good at what he does,” “still doesn’t excite me,” “never shuts his mouth, just talks about the QB position,” “Harlan brings it up to A. Green is C overall” (on an A grade), and “Harlan is an A, Green is a D” (on a C grade). Some also had some shots for Harlan, such as “a step slower than he used to be” and “voice is grating.” But the comments here were overall very complimentary.

3. Mike Tirico/Cris Collinsworth (NBC/Peacock): 3.17

Most common grade: A (53.2 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 90.2 percent

We have our first group to get more than 50 percent A responses (293). Tirico and Collinsworth were also third last season with a 3.13, but only drew 46.8 percent A grades then. Their 32 Fs, however, were part of why they didn’t rise higher still.

Along those lines, Collinsworth in particular took some heat in the comments. Lines there included “Mike is the only reason it’s not an F—CC is terrible” (on a D grade), “Collinsworth is the worst. I now mute Sun night games as he is sooo annoying,” and “No disrespect to Mike Tirico. This grade is all on Collinsworth. He is one of the worst analysts ever. Makes too many mistakes and controversial comments” (on a F grade). However, some praised him with remarks like “Collinsworth gets over hated, he is still excellent at what he does,” “Collinsworth is tremendous. Can’t say the same about Tirico,” and “I give the D to Tirico as I like Collinsworth.”

There were also plenty of people who liked this booth overall. Some of the lines there included “Just the voices of NBC at this point,” “Good duo and Collinsworth knows the game,” and “A++++++ THE BEST. Tirico is GREAT. Collinsworth is GREAT.” But the overall tone of the comments was more negative than the numerical grade would suggest.

2. Joe Buck/Troy Aikman (ESPN/ABC): 3.32

Most common grade: A (58.5 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 92.2 percent

Buck and Aikman have shown incredible year-over-year numerical consistency in this poll, with 3.32 in 2022 and 2024, and 3.31 in 2023. They also finished second last year. They drew the second-highest number of A votes (332), but were slightly behind the top team in both As and A/B/C grades.

Unsurprisingly, given the grade, there was quite a lot of praise for this duo in the comments. Some of the remarks there included “Like fine wine, they seem to just get better and better every year,” “Great to listen to and very knowledgeable,” “The gold standard,” “Best booth in the NFL,” “They get better and better,” “They work so well together,” and “Hard to believe after nearly 25 years together, but it feels like they’re reaching their zenith.” However, there were some individual criticisms. For Buck, those included “Joe is unwatchable,” “Get rid of Joe Buck, nobody likes him,” “Buck is terrible,” and “Joe Buck is a nepo and rude towards baseball.”

Some commenters preferred Aikman to Buck, but many more who differentiated between the two liked him less. Some of the negative remarks there included “Troy ruins imo,” “A for Buck and C for Aikman” (on a B grade), and “Aikman has marbles in his mouth.” Still, Aikman drew individual praise, especially for his sometimes-critical commentary (“Love Troy for his brutal honesty,” ” very open about his views on the game,” and “appreciate their candid comments, even when they can be perceived as risky by the league or overall culture”). And the overall reactions here were quite positive.

1. Joe Davis, Greg Olsen (Fox): 3.37

Most common grade: A (61.4 percent of votes)
Percentage of A/B/C grades: 96.5 percent

Fox’s No. 2 team takes the overall in this poll for the second-straight year, although their grade slightly dropped from last year’s 3.40. This year, they also received a poll-leading percentage of A/B/C grades, although they got one more F grade (11) than Harlan and Green.

In the comments, there was a lot of particular praise for Olsen. That included “probably the best color analyst,” ” hands down the best color analyst in the league, and it’s not even close,” “Olsen would have great chemistry with an inanimate household object,” and “the best color commentator around.” Some criticized him, including “talks too much” and “grossly overrated,” but the comments ran very much in his favor.

There were more shots for Davis. Some of those included “best at baseball” and “brings them down.” But others praised him with lines like “rock solid,” “Love Davis in any booth he’s in,” and “Davis’ best sport.” And overall, the comments were more praiseworthy than critical for him as well.

A ton of people also enjoyed both of these figures. Some of the comments along those lines included “Best booth in the business,” “In my view, this is the Fox A-Team,” and “These two should be Fox’s No. 1 team.” Indeed, that was the overarching sentiment here. Thus, while Burkhardt and Brady improved their year-over-year grade, many AA readers still prefer Davis and Olsen.

Thanks for reading!