Former National Football League defensive end J.J. Watt is joining The Pat McAfee Show for a weekly appearance throughout the football season. Watt, who recently signed with CBS Sports as an analyst on The NFL Today, serves as an example of a voice from another network being able to join the program despite it being televised on ESPN.
Watt made his debut with CBS Sports on Sunday, joining James Brown, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason and the rest of The NFL Today cast prior to kickoff of the afternoon games. He reportedly received widespread interest during his broadcasting free agency, but ultimately decided to join CBS Sports in the inaugural season of a new 11-year media rights contract.
While Watt is enjoying the early days of his career in front of the camera and is enjoying retirement, he feels like he could still play professionally. His brother, TJ Watt, is a star linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is thoroughly enjoying his time in the city with the team. For the time being though, Watt is focusing on performing at his best in sports media and making an impact on football coverage.
Watt will be back on the air for the second week of The NFL Today at 12 p.m. EST/9 a.m. PST ahead of CBS Sports’ slate of afternoon matchups, which includes the Baltimore Ravens’ clash against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders visiting the Buffalo Bills. All of the action leads up to the 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST showcase game when the Dallas Cowboys open their home slate against the New York Jets.
The announcement of Watt joining the Wednesday edition of The Pat McAfee Show is the third recurring guest to be revealed since McAfee took his show to ESPN. Last week from Tuscaloosa, Ala., he divulged that Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban will be on the program each Thursday, while New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will appear every Tuesday.
