Ian Eagle will welcome a new partner for CBS’s NFL coverage: J.J. Watt. Following Gary Danielson’s retirement announcement after a historic 36-season career as a college football analyst — the longest in television history — CBS named Charles Davis as his successor, teaming him up with Brad Nessler in the lead college football booth starting in 2026. That left Eagle without a partner for NFL broadcasts, and according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, J.J. Watt will step in, beginning in the 2025 season. Watt confirmed the news on social media.
New partnership is off to a hot start… @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/EZk1eI2fd8
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 26, 2025
Before joining CBS as a studio analyst in 2023, J.J. Watt expressed interest in a limited TV role, preferring a ManningCast-style schedule over a full-time commitment. However, he appears ready to embrace a more significant role alongside Eagle. For now, Davis will continue with the NFL on CBS during the 2025 season before transitioning to college football coverage, seemingly making way for Watt to join Eagle in the booth.
‘The Bird’ is known for his versatility, working seamlessly with anyone, and other internal candidates like Jason McCourty and Nate Burleson were in the mix. Ultimately, Watt — who previously called Netflix’s Christmas Day game with Eagle and Burleson and ranked No. 10 in Awful Announcing’s local announcer rankings — secured the position.
“There is nothing better than the energy and excitement of being in the stadium on game day in the NFL,” Watt said 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, a future Hall of Famer. Over the last two years, he’s connected with fans through his passion, insight, and desire to have fun. We can’t wait for him to bring that same energy to the booth alongside Ian.”
With Watt now a game analyst, speculation surrounds Eagle’s future, as he is a candidate to replace Al Michaels on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, especially since Michaels works on a year-to-year basis with Prime Video. With Eagle set to be the voice for Amazon’s NBA coverage, a full-time move to the streaming service wouldn’t be surprising in the coming years. However, CBS has strong incentives to retain him, as he is the face of the network’s March Madness coverage, and his departure could leave a significant void across multiple sports.
Regardless of what unfolds beyond 2025, it is confirmed that J.J. Watt will be in the booth with Ian Eagle when the NFL on CBS kicks off this fall.
