CBS moving Charles Davis off No. 2 NFL broadcast role — replaced by J.J. Watt — is a raw deal
If you missed it — or just didn't think twice when you heard it in between perusing mock drafts — CBS made a major change in its No. 2 broadcast booth.
Advertisement
J.J. Watt
, who was an analyst on 'The NFL Today' studio program last season, his second with the network, was moved to a game analyst role, where he will join play-by-play voice
Ian Eagle
in that No. 2 booth.
Watt replaces
Charles Davis
, who in 2026 will replace the retiring
Gary Danielson
on the network's top college football broadcast team, alongside play-by-play voice
Brad Nessler
. But Davis is in a weird kind of limbo right now — he will be a game analyst on one of CBS's NFL broadcast teams in 2025, but it is undetermined which one.
Advertisement
My first thought upon learning of CBS's shuffling is that Davis is getting a raw deal. Eagle and Davis, with
Evan Washburn
on the sideline, have called numerous Patriots games since former CBS sports boss
Sean McManus
brought Davis over from Fox and assembled that broadcast team in 2020, and they always provided an informative and enjoyable broadcast. Personally, I found them more consistently enjoyable in recent years than CBS's No. 1 team of
Jim Nantz
,
Tony Romo
, and reporter
Tracy Wolfson
, especially during those times when Romo seemed to treat the broadcast like a nonsensical conversation with himself, a habit he repaired last season while sounding more prepared.
Related
:
I suspect Watt, who gives off an easygoing vibe, will eventually be very good — though suggestions that he may threaten Romo's status as the No. 1 analyst seem like a stretch. Eagle, whether he's calling the NFL, NBA, or college basketball, always elevates whomever he is with. And it's clear CBS liked what it heard when Eagle, Watt, and
Nate Burleson
teamed up in the booth for Netflix's Christmas Day Chiefs-Steelers game.
But it will take time to build the chemistry that Eagle had with Davis, who deserved better in all of this. If CBS still had Southeastern Conference broadcast rights, the move to its college football broadcasts in '26 could be spun as a promotion, or at least a lateral move from one excellent gig to another. But working Big Ten games just does not have the same prestige.
Advertisement
Davis was — or is, at least for another year — the rare NFL game analyst who wasn't a former NFL player. (He starred as a cornerback at Tennessee, but was cut by the Cowboys in training camp in 1987 and never played in the league.) That suggested to me he had to work harder than most to get the opportunities that eventually came his way, first with his 14 years at Fox Sports before McManus advocated for him at CBS.
Related
:
That hard work always was evident when Davis was in the booth, and I'm sure it still will be. But all these months before the new season begins, it's a bummer to realize that one of the best, if not the best, NFL broadcast booth is no more.—.
YouTube venture shows promise
Joon Lee
, who did excellent work for ESPN as a baseball writer before being laid off in July 2023, has
'Sports Sunday' remains on hiatus
'Sports Sunday' on NBC Sports Boston and NBC 10 was put on hiatus in late January, with plans, per a company spokesperson at the time, to continually evaluate the show's status through 2025. I thought that might mean 'Sports Sunday' would be revived when the Celtics, whose games air on NBC Sports Boston, of course, began their playoff quest to repeat as NBA champions. But I was told this week that a return during the NBA postseason is not in the cards.
Advertisement
Chad Finn can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
12 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
FBI Season 8: Release date speculation, cast and plot details – Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on June 12, 2025, 20:00 IST Last updated June 12, 2025, 17:11 IST The hit CBS crime drama FBI , created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk, has captivated audiences with its intense storytelling and dynamic cast since its debut in 2018. With Season 7 wrapping up on May 20, 2025, fans are eagerly awaiting FBI Season 8 . Here's everything we know so far about the release date, cast, plot details, and more for the upcoming season of this beloved procedural series. FBI Season 8 Release Date Speculation While CBS has not yet confirmed the exact premiere date for FBI Season 8 , the show's consistent fall release schedule provides strong clues. Season 7 premiered on October 15, 2024, and previous seasons have typically launched between September and October. Based on this pattern, FBI Season 8 is expected to premiere in September or October 2025, likely in the third quarter of the year. FBI Season 8 Cast: Who's Returning and Who's Leaving? The FBI cast has seen some changes in Season 7, and these shifts will impact Season 8. Here's a look at the expected returning cast and notable departures: Returning Cast Members Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell, the team's de facto field leader, is expected to return. Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom 'OA' Zidan, Maggie's partner and a West Point graduate, will likely continue. Jeremy Sisto as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, a central figure in the fusion center, is set to return. Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, whose fate was left uncertain in the Season 7 finale, is anticipated to return, pending resolution of her cliffhanger. John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola, who navigated new partners in Season 7, is expected back. Emily Alabi as Special Agent Dani Rhodes, introduced as Scola's new partner in Season 7, may return, though her status as a series regular is unconfirmed. Cast Members Not Returning Katherine Renee Kane will not return as Special Agent Tiffany Wallace, having exited in the Season 7 premiere to pursue new creative endeavors. Lisette Olivera, who played Syd James, a Behavioral Analysis Unit agent and Scola's temporary partner, left after a few episodes in Season 7 and will not return for Season 8. FBI Season 8 Plot Details: What to Expect FBI Season 8 will likely continue its signature case-of-the-week format, blending episodic investigations with deeper personal arcs for the ensemble cast. The Season 7 finale, 'A New Day,' set up significant storylines that will carry into the next season. Here's what we can expect: Fallout from the Forefront Infiltration The Season 7 finale revealed that the extremist group Forefront had infiltrated the FBI's New York field office, leading to the deaths of nine agents, including Assistant Director in Charge Reynolds. Deputy Assistant Director Simon Keene was exposed as a mole working with Forefront, and Special Agent Isobel Castille collapsed after uncovering another potential traitor, leaving her fate uncertain. Season 8 will likely explore: The aftermath of the Forefront attack and the hunt for remaining moles within the FBI. Whether Isobel Castille survives and how her potential absence or return impacts team dynamics. Leadership changes, as the field office must fill vacant upper management roles. Personal Stakes for the Team The infiltration made the stakes deeply personal for agents like Jubal Valentine and Maggie Bell. Season 8 may delve into Jubal's struggles, given his 'sordid past' and suspicions cast on him in Season 7. Maggie and OA's partnership will likely remain a cornerstone, with their personal lives—such as Maggie's commitment to her team and OA's background as a former DEA agent—adding depth to their cases. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season
Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season The Seattle Seahawks are expecting a developmental step forward from sophomore defensive tackle Byron Murphy II this year. Murphy looked effective when healthy, but an injury derailed a sizable portion of his rookie campaign. The No. 16 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft is now entering a big second season. Pro Football Focus recently compiled a 2025 NFL All-Breakout Team. They selected one player at each position. Murphy was their choice at defensive tackle. "Many thought that Mike Macdonald had found his white whale out west when the Seahawks drafted Murphy 16th overall in 2024," Bradley Locker wrote. "After one year, that hasn't looked like the case, but it isn't time to panic yet. In Year 1, the former Texas star earned just a 57.8 overall PFF grade with a 64.5 PFF pass-rushing grade. Murphy also played only 457 snaps in 14 games, ceding time to Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed — each of whom returns to the team in 2025." A deeper dive into the analytics reveals Murphy was more effective than meets the eye. "There are still a bevy of reasons to get excited about Murphy, including his 70.0 PFF pass-rushing grade on true pass sets, 10% pass-rush win rate and 76th percentile run stop rate," Locker continued. "Macdonald helped Nnamdi Madubuike break out in earnest during the 2023 season, which was Macdonald's second in Baltimore. Perhaps Murphy will follow a similar arc and become a true disruptor along Seattle's interior in his second season." Murphy flashed pass-rushing upside in spurts as a rookie. A healthy, more mature sophomore version should be an effective defender in 2025. Mike Macdonald and his defensive staff will attempt to continue developing Murphy this season.
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise PFF reveals the Eagles' biggest reason for optimism, and it shouldn't catch anyone off guard. For just the fifth time in their 93-year history, the Philadelphia Eagles will enter the regular season as the defending champions. Three titles preceded the 1966 NFL/AFL merger (1948, 1949, 1960). They've added two Vince Lombardi Trophies to the shelf after winning Super Bowl 52 and 59. These young Birds fans certainly haven't gotten spoiled, haven't they? Most don't know the anguish of enduring Leonard Tose. They don't remember Bryce Paup shredding Randall Cunningham's knee. Three consecutive NFC Championship Games are foreign, and so is a depressing Fog Bowl. Young Eagles fans never had to endure seeing Reggie White leave, and you know what? The older guard ought to be thankful that they didn't. It would be cruel to wish that type of pain on anyone. This is one of the best eras of football this organization has seen, and there's still reason for more optimism. Pro Football Focus would undoubtedly agree with that last point. They recently offered a refreshing take, 'One reason for optimism for every team ahead of the 2025 NFL season'. As we know, Philadelphia has several, but it's hard to argue with the answer that PFF provided. How about a round of applause for the Eagles' loaded roster? There's plenty of content to wade through following Eagles OTAs and their single-day minicamp. Thank Dalton Wasserman for providing a nice distraction as we take a break before training camp begins in July. Philadelphia tacked an extension on the end of Saquon Barkley's current deal. Most of their young roster is locked up for the foreseeable future. They have young stars on an excellent defense. All are great reasons why Wasserman lists a 'stacked roster's return as cause for Birds fans to rest easy and smile broadly. Here's his explanation. "Philadelphia ran roughshod through the NFL last season en route to its second Super Bowl victory. This year's edition of the Eagles is poised to defend their title, returning 20 of their 25 players who led the team in snaps last season. Their defense, which paced the NFL in PFF grade last season, took most of the damage but returns stars such as Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles boast the best roster in the NFL heading into this season." This isn't the first time we've heard praise heaped on the Eagles' talent. The kudos are well deserved. Let's do some brief inventory. Their quarterback is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and despite losing his first appearance in the big game, he has outplayed Patrick Mahomes on the big stage twice. Barkley is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia has the game's best one-two punch at wide receiver. They're also home to the game's best offensive line and a defense that is young and hungry, one led by one of the game's top defensive minds. Their owner is phenomenal. Howie Roseman is the best in the business. The fan support is otherworldly. One can certainly do a lot worse than being an Eagles fan. This season, Philadelphia tackles one of pro football's most demanding and challenging schedules, but they are armed well enough to handle the task of what will be a gauntlet. They return six Pro Bowlers (they should have had more). They return six All-Pros. Make no mistake. They'll be up to the challenge.
