Jimmy Johnson retires from Fox Sports' NFL coverage after 31 years
Jimmy Johnson, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach who won two Super Bowls and a college national championship, announced his retirement from Fox Sports on Monday after being a part of its NFL coverage for 31 years.
The 81-year-old Johnson made the announcement during an appearance on 'The Herd With Colin Cowherd.'
'The most fun I ever had in my career, that's counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports,' he said, adding that he loved working for CEO Eric Shanks and Fox NFL Sunday producer Bill Richards.
'But I've made an extremely difficult decision,' he said. 'I've been thinking about it for the last four or five years and I've decided to retire from Fox. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss all the guys. I'll see them occasionally. It's been a great run starting 31 years ago.'
Johnson worked alongside hosts Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw and analysts Howie Long and Michael Strahan.
'Jimmy Johnson was there when Fox NFL Sunday came on-air for the first time 31 years ago, and since then has been a cherished member of our Fox Sports family, which makes today's retirement news bittersweet,' Shanks said in a statement posted to social media. 'Jimmy served as an inspiration to generations of football fans with his legendary swagger, one-of-a-kind insight and signature humor.'
Menefee said Johnson informed him last week about his decision. Menefee added that two years ago the crew had what was thought to be a going-away dinner for Johnson in Los Angeles at the end of the season, but that Johnson later opted to return.
'The reason he did decide to come back before was because there was a hesitation. This time he was 100 percent confident that this is the right thing for him to do at this time and with his family,' Menefee said. 'I think we all hope we get to go out into the sunset the way that we want, and he certainly has been able to do that.'
Johnson won Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1992 and '93 seasons and the college football national championship with Miami in 1987. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Menefee said the announcement of Johnson's induction during halftime of an NFC divisional-round game in January 2020 remains one of the top moments since Fox Sports began carrying the NFL in 1994.
'I don't think there's anything that we have done in the 31 years of Fox Sports has been remotely close to that, because I think not only did it mean so much to Jimmy, you saw how much it meant to the people who care about Jimmy," Menefee said Monday afternoon by phone. "I think everything that Fox Sports is got encapsulated in that one moment for the whole world to see.'
Johnson coached the Cowboys for five seasons, stepping down after winning his second Lombardi Trophy, and three months later was hired as a Fox NFL pregame show analyst. Johnson's split with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was acrimonious, and it wasn't until Dec. 30, 2023, that Jones put Johnson in the team's ring of honor. Johnson and Tom Landry are the only coaches alongside the 19 players and two executives in the exclusive group of one of the NFL's storied franchises.
Johnson left Fox in 1996 to become general manager and coach of the Miami Dolphins. He returned in 2002.
Johnson's coaching career started in 1965 as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Bradshaw's alma mater. He became a head coach for the first time in 1979, at Oklahoma State, and left after five years for Miami, where he went 52-9 with two No. 2 finishes to go with his 1987 title.
'It has been 17 seasons of fun and laughs sitting next to you,' Strahan posted on X. 'You're truly one of a kind and thanks for being you and gifting me with one of the best friendships anyone could ever ask for. Hope you enjoy fishing and drinking beers on the boat. You deserve it, love you Coach!'
Johnson reposted Strahan's well wishes and added a message: 'Michael, going to miss sitting next to you but I'll be watching.'
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
RB Nick Chubb signs with Texans on 1-year deal: How he expands Houston's backfield
By Dianna Russini, Zac Jackson, Adam Coleman and Zach Powell Former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, who was a free agent, signed with the Houston Texans on Tuesday, the team announced. The contract, which was contingent on Chubb passing a physical on Monday, is a one-year deal worth at least $2.5 million and up to $5 million, according to league sources. Chubb received more lucrative offers from other teams, but he would sign a more incentive-laden contract to join Joe Mixon in Houston's backfield. Chubb, 29, was sidelined for much of the last two seasons due to knee and foot injuries. Welcome to H-Town, Nick Chubb‼️ — Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 9, 2025 Houston will be just the second team Chubb has played for in his seven seasons. A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia, Chubb has impacted the Browns' ground game since his rookie season. The four-time Pro Bowler rushed for 996 yards in his first season, followed by four straight seasons of 1,000-plus yards. Advertisement Chubb's 2023 season was cut short by a serious knee injury in Week 2. He returned in Week 7 of the 2024 season, but would wind up missing the final three games that season with a broken foot. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 84.5 yards per game in his first five seasons, and 3.9 yards per carry and 50.2 yards per game in the past two seasons. The injuries are a concern, of course, but Chubb on an incentive-laden one-year deal in a reserve role seems like a good bet for the Texans to make. A healthy backfield of Mixon and Chubb only helps quarterback CJ Stroud and new offensive coordinator Nick Caley. This is suddenly an interesting running back room, too. The Texans just used a fourth-round pick on USC running back Woody Marks to spell the hard-nosed Mixon, who dealt with injuries of his own last season. Then, there is Dameon Pierce, who could be on the bubble. He had an outstanding rookie season in 2022 but has since lost his way. How it all shakes out in camp and during the preseason will be interesting. — Adam Coleman, NFL staff editor The 2024 version of Chubb was not the same version we'd seen before. And though his departure from Cleveland becoming close to official stings the team's fans, the Browns had moved on, and had to. Chubb's gruesome injury in September 2023 in Pittsburgh marked the unofficial end to an incredible marriage of team and low-maintenance superstar that began early in Chubb's rookie season of 2018. Chubb almost always got the tough yards, almost always made the proper play and always wanted the ball without having to say it or post about it. It's hard to tell what the Texans are getting in Chubb now, six months from his 30th birthday, but it seems a smart bet for a Houston team that plans to return to the playoffs. Advertisement Chubb seemed to gain confidence and quickness last season before that broken foot derailed his comeback. If he can still serve as a between-the-tackles runner who brings physicality even without that extra gear, he can still be a useful and productive player. The Browns drafted two running backs and are smartly moving towards their future, but Chubb's presence and playmaking will never be forgotten. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals' free agent addition of LB Josh Sweat named top-25 offseason move
Arizona Cardinals' free agent addition of LB Josh Sweat named top-25 offseason move In the 25 best offseason moves this year, the Cardinals' addition of Josh Sweat comes in at No. 23. The Arizona Cardinals made a number of notable moves in the offseason on defense. Their biggest move money-wise was adding linebacker Josh Sweat, signing him to a four-year, $76.4 million deal. They hope he can jump start their presence off the edge. Bleacher Report named it one of the 25 best offseason moves, coming in at No. 23. When last we saw Josh Sweat, he was giving Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes nightmares in Super Bowl LIX. That monstrous performance earned Sweat an equally robust contract from the Cardinals, where he will join the re-signed Baron Browning and youngster B.J. Ojulari on a pass rush that was middle of the pack in sacks a year ago. Got to get after the quarterback to succeed in today's NFL. Sweat had his two best NFL seasons in 2021 and 2022 when Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was his defensive coordinator and Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was his linebackers coach. Last season, he had eight sacks and added another two and a half in the Super Bowl. But Sweat isn't just a solid pass rusher. He is great and physical against the run, something that Rallis loves. Sweat's addition should both improve the pass rush and the Cardinals' run defense, both of which were problems in 2024. With Sweat and the return of Ojulari and Baron Browning, their edge presence should be solid. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
Saints make it official, process former All-Pro Ryan Ramczyk's retirement
Last Monday, the New Orleans Saints officially processed Derek Carr's retirement, bringing his NFL career to a close. One week later, they did the same with former All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, per the daily transactions wire. We knew this was coming, but now there's no taking it back. Ramczyk won't wear No. 71 again, but its new owner Kelvin Banks Jr. ought to do it twin retirements leave the Saints with two vacancies on their 90-man offseason roster; they currently have 44 players under contract offensively, with 37 of them on defense, and four specialists (plus Irish kicker Charlie Smyth, who has an exemption as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program). How they'll address those two openings is anyone's guess, but we have some ideas. The team has recently met with free agents like wide receiver Gabe Davis, defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard, and cornerback Asante Samuel about the salary cap? This year, the Saints are carrying a total of $76.9 million in dead money from contracts with players no longer on the team -- $13.4 million of which accounts for Carr, and just over $11 million of which is from Ramczyk. In 2026, those numbers go up to $36.6 million for Carr and $11.9 million for Ramczyk, for a total of $48.6 million in dead money on next year's books. That's after Ramczyk agreed to lower this year's salary to the minimum with Carr forfeiting $30 million to facilitate their retirements. The Saints did get a small $1.255 million cap credit for Ramczyk retiring, just like they did for Carr, but most of those savings were wiped out by lesser contracts in the $1.03 million neighborhood replacing them above the top-51 luck to Ramczyk in retirement. Whether he's planning to take up coaching the next generation of linemen or go home to Wisconsin and log a lot of hours in his deer stand, he can do it knowing he achieved a career as a player that anyone would be proud article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL retirement news: Saints process Ryan Ramczyk's papers
