Jimmy Johnson, the legendary NFL head coach who worked at FOX for multiple decades, announced his retirement from TV earlier this week. Could Terry Bradshaw be next?
Johnson, who led the Dallas Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1990s, finished his career with the Miami Dolphins in 1999. He then went into television. Johnson worked at Fox Sports for more than 25 years, serving as a top analyst on the network’s pregame show every Sunday. He informed Colin Cowherd of his decision.
“The most fun I ever had in my career, that’s counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports,” Johnson said.
“But I’ve made an extremely difficult decision,” he added. “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.”
With Johnson stepping away, many are wondering about the status of FOX’s other long-running analyst: Terry Bradshaw. However, Bradshaw has already announced his intentions for the 2025 NFL season with FOX.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 20: Commenter Terry Bradshaw looks on prior to the NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Bradshaw, 76, announced at Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, Louisiana that he would be returning for the 2025 NFL season. He is hoping to play out his contract at Fox Sports and call one more Super Bowl. When he’s 80 years old, he’ll step away.
“I told my wife before I left the room a while ago, I’m sitting there… I said, ‘I’ve got two years left at FOX,’” Bradshaw said at Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
“‘I’m 76. Okay, so it’s a young man’s game. I get that.’ Everybody wants the new. … If we can get to the next Super Bowl (on Fox) I’ll be 80. I think that’s time. Eighty years old, that’s pushing it.”
Bradshaw, who won four Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is planning on riding things out for a bit. FOX will get LXIII in 2029. It sounds like Bradshaw is planning on that being his curtain call.
“I told Fox: ‘If I could just die on the show, think about the ratings, right?,” Bradshaw said. “Are we not about ratings? That’d be huge. Not only that, there would be a huge carryover.”
Bradshaw, like Johnson, has been part of FOX’s NFL coverage for multiple decades. But unlike Johnson, Bradshaw is planning on sticking around for another season or two.
It’ll be interesting to see who FOX chooses to replace Jimmy Johnson, but they won’t have to worry about replacing Bradshaw for another couple of years, at least.
