Latest news with #JJWatt
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
J.J. Watt lands NFL announcing role with CBS Sports in 2025-26 season
Former NFL star J.J. Watt is taking his talents to the NFL announcing booth. CBS announced its NFL broadcast teams for the upcoming season on July 30 and revealed that Watt would be the game analyst on the network's No. 2 announcing team, joining play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle and reporter Evan Washburn. Charles Davis was in that role that season, but will now broadcast games with Andrew Catalon, Jason McCourty and AJ Ross, replacing Tiki Barber in that role on the network's No. 4 broadcasting team. The network's No. 1 team remains Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson. Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins make up the network's No. 3 announcing team, with Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala making up CBS' No. 5 team for announcing games. Kyler Murray TDs? 'Stats' pointless in Arizona Cardinals training camp | Opinion How will J.J. Watt fare as an NFL analyst? Watt, who ended his career with the Arizona Cardinals after starring with the Houston Texans, spent time in The NFL Today studio last season. He's never been afraid to say what's on his mind, which could make for a great pairing with Eagle in the booth. Social media seemed excited about J.J. Watt's potential in the announcing booth: More: Arizona Cardinals announce new radio analyst Reach Jeremy Cluff at Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: CBS Sports' NFL announcing changes include J.J. Watt
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
All the changes to CBS's NFL announcer lineup for 2025, including JJ Watt's new role
CBS is home to roughly 45 percent of the NFL games in a given season. This has been burned into America's collective brain by nearly two decades of Big Bang Theory and Big Bang Theory adjacent promos. It's also home to some of the best and highest-profile announcers in the game, even if those two categories don't always overlap. CBS may lack the star power of bringing Tom Brady to the booth, but will counter in 2025 with its own future Hall of Famer alongside a trusted play-by-play voice. Three-time defensive player of the year JJ Watt will move from CBS's pregame NFL Today show to a spot next to Ian Eagle calling games this fall. Watt isn't the only difference you may notice on Sundays this fall. Let's run down CBS's announce teams and point out 2025's changes. 1. Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson: No changes Romo once again gets top billing. He dialed back the "Bob Saget calling America's Funniest Home Videos" cosplay last season, but remains searching for his earlier "Romodamus" form. 2. Ian Eagle, JJ Watt and Evan Washburn: Watt replaces Charles Davis Watt moves from the pregame show to the booth with CBS's No. 2 squad. Davis will still call games in 2025, just not with last year's partner Eagle. 3. Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins: No changes Harlan, Green and Collins will maintain their position as arguably the most under-appreciated trio on Sundays. 4. Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis, Jason McCourty and AJ Ross: Tiki Barber is out, Davis is in Barber has been taken out of the CBS booth rotation. McCourty returns for his second season calling games. 5. Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala: No changes Kinkhabwala made her full-time debut as sideline reporter with this pair in 2024. 6. Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, and a rotating reporter: Jay Feely out Feely will spend his 2025 gearing up for a 2026 run for Congress. NFL Today: James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Matt Ryan THE NFL TODAY will feature host James Brown alongside analysts Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Matt Ryan Watt left the panel for game duties, creating a four-man desk for 2025.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
NFL and Eagles Mourn The Passing Of Super Bowl Champion at 38
NFL and Eagles Mourn The Passing Of Super Bowl Champion at 38 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Eagles fans remember Bryan Braman as part of the championship team that brought home the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy in 2018. And now those memories are mixed with mourning as the former linebacker has lost his battle against a rare and aggressive cancer diagnosis. Braman was 38. Braman's representative, Sean Stellato, recently described the former player's health crisis as 'the fight of his life.'' The agent praised Braman's character, noting how the former player has always embodied the qualities of an underdog who refuses to quit. On Thursday, Stellato posted on social media, "My heart hurts. I love you, Bryan." J.J. Watt, a Braman teammate in Houston, wrote, "Rest in peace, brother. Gone too soon.'' The diagnosis has necessitated intensive medical intervention, including specialized CAR T-cell therapy that Braman received in Seattle. This cutting-edge treatment represents one of the most advanced approaches to fighting certain types of cancer, though it comes with significant physical and financial costs. According to close friend Williams Jones, who organized a crowdfunding campaign to support Braman's medical expenses, the treatment journey was particularly challenging. The combination of chemotherapy and surgical procedures has compromised Braman's immune system, making recovery between treatments difficult. This has created a concerning cycle in which the cancer continues to advance while Braman's body struggles to bounce back. Most troubling is the disease's progression toward vital organs — a development that has prompted Braman and his medical team to explore experimental treatment options. Jones emphasized that despite the setbacks, Braman remains determined and continues researching alternative therapies. The fundraising campaign has drawn remarkable support from the football community, raising nearly $90,000 and surpassing its original target. Among the notable contributors was Watt, who donated $10,000. Watt and Braman share a special bond, having both joined the Texans as rookies in 2011 — though their paths to the NFL were vastly different. Braman's professional football career spanned seven seasons, with his most memorable years coming in Philadelphia. After joining the Eagles in 2014, he became a reliable special teams contributor, appearing in 51 games across three and a half seasons. His career culminated in Super Bowl LII, where he recorded a special teams tackle in the Eagles' thrilling 41–33 victory over the New England Patriots. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bears camp observations: What to make of shaky practice for Caleb Williams, red zone offense
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams reposted a viral rant, of sorts, from J.J. Watt. Watt opined about the way training camp 'stats' are kept, calling it 'insane and ridiculous.' The message from the future Hall of Famer is apt. We can never read too much into statistics from training camp, especially in non-padded practices. We don't know the play call. We don't know the assignments. But we are out here to observe, and Friday's practice — if charted for stats — wouldn't have been a pretty one for Williams and the first-team offense, which included several reps in the red zone. Training Camp 'stats' are insane and ridiculous. Used to think it was always just people joking, but now seeing them seriously reported. You have no idea what the purpose of that period is, what the goals are, what the context is, etc. It could be a strictly 3rd & Long… — JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 24, 2025 It's your classic Bears training camp Rorschach test. Should there be concern about the quarterback? Is the defense simply playing at a high level? Is it too early to judge anything, especially with a new playbook being installed? Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle emphasized that last point. 'Obviously we're in our third day of install,' he said. 'This is their first time coming through in the fall with the red zone stuff. It always gets a little bit tighter down there. The biggest thing is you don't waste any failure on an individual play. We've got to go back and we're going to watch the tape with these guys this afternoon and clean up some of the intricate details of what we're asking them in the red zone.' Advertisement It's July 25, not Oct. 25. If this were in the middle of the season, Doyle's tone would be different. 'Anytime you are out there, they're all teaching moments. And so there is a line of … if you're in the season and it goes the way it goes, you're feeling a little different,' he said. 'This is the first time we're out there seeing, you know, what we're seeing with the new install for the training camp, and so I think the biggest thing is that we come in ready to practice.' In a seven-on-seven period in the red zone, Williams went 0-for-5. His first throw was dropped. The second got deflected by linebacker Noah Sewell. He then missed wide receiver Rome Odunze on a fade before back-to-back interceptions. A pass to receiver DJ Moore was deflected into the air and into the arms of safety Jaquan Brisker. Linebacker T.J. Edwards picked off the next pass. 'You just know that you've got to get through the day,' Moore said about putting a practice like that in perspective. 'Whatever happens, you can just teach off of it and just get better from there.' The next 11-on-11 drill didn't go much better. Williams got bailed out a bit by a pass-interference call. Then defensive ends Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo helped force an incomplete pass. Following a D'Andre Swift run, cornerback Kyler Gordon got his hands on a pass to tight end Cole Kmet. Speaking specifically about how to succeed in the red zone, Moore harped on the timing. 'We've just got to be on timing,' he said. 'Everybody in the spots that they need to be and just divide the end zone up with different people that are going to be in their spots and Caleb can throw the ball to.' The timing could have just been off on Friday morning at Halas Hall. 'It's going to take about the six weeks,' Moore said. 'You want to be connected, like I said, hip to hip with all the guys. Me, Rome, Olamide (Zaccheaus). Everybody in the room. It's just like you need to have that connection with everybody.' Your daily @idjmoore vibe check — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 25, 2025 When the offense returned to the short red zone in practice, however, things picked up. From the 5-yard line, Williams got the ball out quickly to Odunze for a touchdown near the pylon. On the next play, Williams threw a strike to the back middle of the end zone, connecting with Zaccheaus. We won't know for a couple of months if the way Wiliams and the offense finished practice is more of a reflection of the 2025 Bears or the clunkiness of that seven-on-seven drill. It might be neither and something in the middle. It is early, but it wouldn't hurt to see the offense get in a groove more often. Advertisement Coach Ben Johnson put more than 90 seconds on the clock and gave the offense the ball at its 35-yard line at the end of practice. Williams opened with a completion to Odunze before a long scramble. He then hit Zaccheaus on an out route, but a false start by rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo, followed by a sack, forced the first-team offense to settle for a field goal. For the first five seasons of his career, Moore faced the Saints twice a year, which meant going up against Dennis Allen's defense. So he has some familiarity with it, but it's constantly evolving. 'It's not one thing that looks the same on that defense,' he said. 'Everything is different every play. It's good for us, but I'm glad we don't have to go against it on Sundays.' The pressure increased several times on Friday, forcing Williams to react. Some of that was by design, according to Doyle. 'That's very intentional. That's trying to get our defensive pressures in against some of the stuff that we're going to do offensively,' he said. 'We have contingency plans for what they are going to bring at us, so the quarterback operating, getting the offense on the same page as far as checking plays, checking protections, things like that. But that's all a part of the scripted practice — trying to get the defense right with their pressure patterns and the way they're going to play coverage on the back end. And then it's getting our quarterbacks used to whether we're throwing the ball or up front handling the movement with those run schemes.' Sweat had one of his more impactful practices — acknowledging that the pads still aren't on, but he was often in the backfield. Defensive tackles Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings also made noticeable plays in the trenches. Advertisement • Left tackle Braxton Jones didn't practice. He had a scheduled rest day as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury. • Rookie tight end Colston Loveland remains limited. • Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, defensive tackle Shemar Turner and cornerback Zah Frazier were all still absent. • Undrafted rookie receiver J.P. Richardson continues to make plays. Keep an eye on him as we get into preseason games. • One of the best plays of the morning came when quarterback Case Keenum threaded the needle to receiver Miles Boykin, who made an impressive catch in tight coverage. • Williams had two big throws early in 11-on-11 drills — a laser to Zaccheaus and a 25-yarder to Odunze while on the move. • Asked about improving his connection with Williams, Moore said, 'It all started at OTAs and we built on it and on it and on it. We went on break, and we talked about it and looked at the playbook and stuff like that. Then, when we got back, he was already ready to go because (he) came two days before us. … Now? After practice, we run together. I'm like, 'Dawg. Dude. This is going to be like we're hip to hip now. We need to stay like this.''
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin football legend to throw out first pitch at Friday's Brewers game
An exciting addition to the festivities at American Family Field tomorrow before Brewers/Marlins👇@JJWatt will be throwing out the first pitch. Wisconsin football legend J.J. Watt is set to throw the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers game on Friday. Watt, a future first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame inductee, will toss the ceremonial pitch for the Brewers' contest against the Miami Marlins at Milwaukee's American Family Field at 3:10 p.m. CT. Fans can also enjoy a celebration of the stadium's 25th anniversary on Friday, equipped with appearances from some of the franchise's most commemorated alumni, including Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Carlos Gómez. After the game, ten former Brewers athletes will also participate in an alumni home run derby. Watt, who represented the Badgers from 2008-10, has already participated in quite the hectic summer slate. He recently met with Luke Fickell's program ahead of the 2025 regular season and celebrated his younger brother T.J.'s historic contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Pewaukee, Wisconsin, native is also set to don the color commentator hat in CBS' No. 2 NFL broadcast crew alongside Ian Eagle for the 2025 season. On the gridiron, the Watt earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards across 12 years as a professional. As a member of the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals, he tallied 586 total tackles, 195 for loss, 317 quarterback hits, 27 forced fumbles, 70 pass deflections, two interceptions, three defensive touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns. In addition to the DPOY nods, the Hall of Fame-level output netted him five Pro-Bowl selections, five First-Team All-Pro honors and one MVP runner-up (2014). He registered at least 10 sacks in six separate seasons, including a pair of 20.5-sack campaigns in 2012 and 2014. Watt will now look to put on an All-Pro level performance on the bump for the Brewers, who own the best record in the MLB. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
