Ranking the Quarterbacks Who Went Straight Into Broadcasting
By Jason Lisk
Tony Romo is going to move directly into the #1 spot as a color analyst with CBS next season, continuing a long tradition of quarterbacks immediately moving into a national broadcasting position.
Going back to the 1970 merger, 23 different quarterbacks have called a game on a national network, either NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC/ESPN, or TNT, after being out of football for a year or less. In fact, with few exceptions (Joe Namath, Ron Jaworksi among them), most quarterbacks who would go into broadcasting did so almost immediately upon retirement. Some stood the test of time; others are probably best remembered for other things.
These rankings are based on longevity of working as a game analyst, and prestige of the position, and not necessarily personal views about the quality of the work.
#23 Matt Hasselbeck (2014 with FOX, retired after 2015)
Hasselbeck actually called a game on his bye week, a year before retiring. He has worked with ESPN since as a television analyst.
#22 Neil O’Donnell (2005 with FOX, retired after 2003)
I don’t know what’s less memorable, that Neil O’Donnell called two games with FOX, or that O’Donnell didn’t retire until after the 2003 season.
#21 Brady Quinn (2015 with FOX, retired after 2014)
Quinn has called 3 NFL games in two seasons for FOX, while also working as a college football analyst.
#20 Jim Kelly (1997 with NBC, retired after 1996)
Kelly called games for NBC in 1997, the same year he found out about his son Hunter’s cancer diagnosis. It was the only year he worked as an analyst.
#19 Roman Gabriel (1978 with CBS, retired after 1977)
Gabriel lasted only two seasons with CBS. He took the head coaching job at Cal Poly Pomona for the 1980 season, and also did work with the Panthers radio broadcast in his home state of North Carolina.
#18 Bart Starr (1973 with CBS, retired after 1971)
Bart Starr spent 2 seasons with CBS, including getting in the booth for the Super Bowl in his first season, before becoming head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
#17 Fran Tarkenton (1979 with ABC MNF, retired after 1978)
Tarkenton spent four years on Monday Night Football working in place of Don Meredith for two games a year, with Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford, because Meredith had a contract to call 14 games and stuck to it after the NFL expanded the schedule.
#16 Roger Staubach (1980 with CBS, retired after 1979)
Staunch became an analyst for 3 years with CBS from 1980-1982, before turning to the real estate business.
#15 Jesse Palmer (2006 with FOX, retired after 2005 from NFL)
Palmer had already been on The Bachelor, and was playing in the CFL, when he got to call some games on FOX. He moved to ESPN in 2008 and now works on the SEC Network.
#14 Johnny Unitas (1974 with CBS, retired after 1973)
Unitas got to call some games with the 1st pairing in 1974, but after five years was out at CBS after the 1978 season, done with broadcasting games.
#13 Boomer Esiason (1998 with ABC MNF, retired after 1997)
Esiason lasted two seasons on Monday Night Football, not working well with Al Michaels. He has since worked on radio with Westwood One, on his Boomer & Carton radio show, and as a studio analyst with CBS.
#12 Sonny Jurgensen (1975 with CBS, retired after 1974)
worked for CBS for 6 years, rising to #2 team in 2nd season and working with Vin Scully. He has been a staple in the Washington market forever.
#11 Steve Beuerlein (2004 with CBS, retired after 2003)
#10 Len Dawson (1976 with NBC, retired after 1975)
Dawson called games with NBC for 7 seasons, and has worked with HBO’s Inside the NFL and as a local sports broadcaster in Kansas City.
#9 Rich Gannon (2005 with CBS, retired after 2004)
Has been with CBS since 2005, calling some games with the 2nd pairing from time to time, and working with Kevin Harlan in the network’s 4th pairing last season.
#8 Terry Bradshaw (1984 with CBS, retired after 1983)
Bradshaw spent 6 years with CBS calling games, moved up to #2 role, then replaced Irv Cross in studio show in 1990.
#7 John Brodie (1974 with NBC, retired after 1973)
Brodie spent 10 years with NBC, primarily in #2 broadcast team behind Merlin Olsen working with Jim Simpson, Curt Gowdy, Don Criqui, and Marv Alpert over that span, and then left announcing to join the Senior PGA Tour when he turned 50.
#6 Bob Griese (1982 with NBC, retired after 1980)
Griese largely served in the #3 color commentator role with NBC over course of 6 seasons, behind Merlin Olsen and John Brodie (then Bob Trumpy) and in 1988 moved to ABC/ESPN to call college football games, retiring in 2011.
#5 Dan Fouts (1988 with CBS, retired after 1987)
#4 Joe Theismann (1986 with CBS, retired after 1985)
Theismann was in the broadcast booth one year after his infamous broken leg. He worked for two years with CBS before moving over to ESPN to be part of the Sunday Night Football crew, where he remained for two decades.
#3 Don Meredith (1970 with ABC MNF, retired after 1968)
Dandy Don was plucked for the new Monday Night Football program just one year removed from retiring with the Dallas Cowboys. He left ABC for a brief stretch in the 1970’s, but returned and was with the network through the 1985 season before someone turned out the lights.
#2 Troy Aikman (2001 with FOX, retired after 2000)
Aikman moved directly to the FOX 2nd team booth after retirement. You could distinguish that from Romo’s situation, except that Phil Simms is not John Madden. A year later, Madden left for Monday Night Football, joining Al Michaels. Aikman was promoted to the top booth and has remained there.
#1 Phil Simms (1995 with NBC, retired after 1993)
Phil Simms has drawn plenty of deserved criticism, but there’s no doubting how long he lasted and how many big games he got to call over his broadcasting career. Simms moved into a three-man booth initially with NBC, got to call the Super Bowl his first season, and moved to CBS when they got the AFC package in 1998. He remained in the #1 analyst roll until this offseason, the longest such tenure at a major network for any former quarterback.