NFL teams
Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Tony Gonzalez joins CBS as analyst

NFL, Atlanta Falcons

It's safe to say Tony Gonzalez won't return to the Atlanta Falcons in 2014.

The retiring Gonzalez, who left open the possibility of playing again in a recent ESPN The Magazine story, closed the door on such talk by joining CBS Sports as an NFL analyst, the network announced Tuesday.

The future Hall of Fame tight end will be part of CBS' pregame show, "The NFL Today," and will contribute across multiple CBS platforms including "Inside the NFL" on Showtime and CBS Sports' Sunday pregame show, "That Other Pregame Show."

"Having just stepped off the playing field, Tony brings a fresh and insightful perspective," CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said. "As a future Hall of Famer, we are excited for him to share his knowledge, experiences and opinions with our viewers. Tony was one of the most respected and hardworking players in the NFL and a tremendous teammate. We look forward to him bringing these attributes to CBS Sports."

Gonzalez will join James Brown, Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason on "The NFL Today." Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe will no longer be on the show.

In the story in ESPN The Magazine, Gonzalez talked about the possibility of returning to the Falcons if they called him late in the season and wanted him for a potential playoff run. Gonzalez never won a Super Bowl in 17 NFL seasons, including five with the Falcons.

"Maybe, if the team is hot in November, 9-2 or something, I could come back for the last two months," Gonzalez said.

^ Back to Top ^