With the 2023 NFL season on the horizon, CBS Sports is beefing up its studio crew by adding former NFL star J.J. Watt.
Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has signed a multi-year deal with CBS Sports to serve as an NFL studio analyst across all platforms, CBS Sports announced Thursday.
In making the announcement CBS Sports president David Berson said, “We are thrilled to welcome J.J. to the CBS Sports family and add one of the greatest defensive players of all time to our team,” said Berson. “As he steps off the field after a Hall of Fame career, J.J. brings deep passion, unique insights, and opinions from today’s NFL. We think fans will love what J.J. brings to our coverage.”
“I love the game too much to be away from it entirely. I’m very excited to be joining CBS Sports to contribute across all their NFL shows and platforms, including working alongside and learning from JB [James Brown], Coach [Bill Cowher], Boomer [Esiason], Phil [Simms], and Nate [Burleson] this fall,” said Watt. “Hopefully, fans will enjoy the insights and knowledge I’ve gained over my 12 years in the NFL, and if we’re lucky, we’ll share a few laughs along the way as well.”
Watt will make his first appearance on The NFL Today in Week 1 of the new season, and with CBS airing this year’s Super Bowl, his addition strengthens the network’s already deep lineup.
He also posted a video on social media, while wearing a CBS Sports cap, announcing his new gig and vowing to use CBS’s global platform to make fun of his brothers.
Sorry, sorry…
C “B” S.
Very excited to be joining the crew for a few Sunday’s this fall!! @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/TrF6PEzGAy
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) June 29, 2023
In an earlier tweet, Watt “mistakenly” said he was joining the pharmacy store chain CVS.
I just got a job at CVS. pic.twitter.com/FoaY8AXliv
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) June 29, 2023
Watt, who retired from the NFL after the 2022 season, played 12 years in the league. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2011 and spent ten seasons with the franchise before moving to the Arizona Cardinals, where he finished his playing career.
Over those 12 years, Watt was a five-time NFL First-Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection; he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and honored as the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. He is the only player in NFL history to record multiple seasons with at least 20 sacks and finished his career with 114.5 sacks.
Upon his retirement, Watt was highly sought after by TV sports networks for his services, including NBC Sports and the NFL Network.