Tony Gonzalez may be retiring from professional football, but he isn’t leaving the National Football League completely…
The 37-year-old part-Mexican American pro footballer, a 14-time Pro Bowl selection during his nearly 20-year NFL career, has signed on to appear as a correspondent for CBS‘ NFL pre-game show, The NFL Today, next season.
Gonzalez, the ex-Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons tight end, will replace former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and former Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe on the panel.
Gonzalez, the first tight end to ever catch 1,000 passes, just retired from after the 2014 Pro Bowl.
“Having just stepped off the playing field, Tony brings a fresh and insightful perspective,” CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said in a statement Tuesday. “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.
“While we welcome Tony, we want to acknowledge Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe who have contributed greatly to the success of The NFL Today for more than a decade,” McManus continued. “Dan and Shannon are true Hall of Famers on the field and in front of the camera. As they pursue other professional opportunities, we thank them for their hard work and dedication and wish them nothing but the best.”
The news comes two weeks after CBS acquired the rights to air Thursday Night Football beginning this fall.
Gonzalez joins returning correspondents James Brown, Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason. In addition to The NFL Today, he will also appear on Showtime‘s Inside the NFL and CBS Sports Network’s That Other Pregame Show.
