It would appear that Tony Gonzalez is committed to retiring from football this time around, as CBS announced on Tuesday that he will join the network’s NFL broadcast during the 2014 season. Gonzalez will contribute to Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” in addition to working with “The NFL Today.”
Gonzalez’s arrival signals a major shake-up for CBS, as Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe will be leaving the network. Gonzalez will work alongside James Brown, Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason.
“While we welcome Tony, we want to acknowledge Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe who have contributed greatly to the success of THE NFL TODAY for more than a decade,” CBS Chariman Sean McManus said in a statement. “Dan and Shannon are true Hall of Famers on the field and in front of the camera. As they pursue other professional opportunities, we thank them for their hard work and dedication and wish them nothing but the best.”
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, CBS made the decision to drop Marino and Sharpe and they did not choose to leave.
We have every reason to expect that Gonzalez, who has always been regarded as one of the classiest players in the NFL, will transition seamlessly from player to analyst. He has offered some controversial takes on the NFL’s new head shot rules, which apparently did not scare the folks at CBS away.
You mean to tell me this exchange is one of the last things we will remember from the Marino-Sharpe era at CBS? That’s a shame.
