Jimmy Johnson’s retirement from the NFL on Fox might be goodbye for now, but Erin Andrews doesn’t think it’s goodbye forever.
Earlier this week, Johnson joined Colin Cowherd on FS1 to announce he was retiring from Fox, ending a tenure with the network that began more than three decades ago. Since the announcement, many of his now former colleagues have praised Johnson’s media career, with Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson joining in on the latest episode of their Calm Down podcast.
“He’s the best,” Andrews said of Johnson. “He makes everyone feel part of the team. he makes everyone feel like they belong. I’m so grateful for that…I adore him and it doesn’t feel real. It won’t really feel real until we kick off the season, but I love you coach, you’re amazing. I have a feeling he’ll come back every now and then.”
Andrews didn’t seem caught off guard by the retirement decision, saying she was wondering if it was going to happen after noticing Johnson was spending a lot of time at the Fox Super Bowl LIX setup in New Orleans days before the game.
As for Andrews believing Fox hasn’t seen the last of Johnson, the 81-year-old former college football and NFL head coach similarly alluded to that possibility during his announcement on The Herd.
“I’m gonna miss all the guys. And I’ll see them occasionally,” Johnson told Cowherd of his NFL on Fox colleagues.
Obviously, Johnson can see them outside of Fox. But by saying he’ll see them occasionally, and Andrews speculating that he might be around every now and then, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the newly retired NFL analyst show up on a Fox broadcast next season, even if it’s just from his Miami home.
The bigger question, however, might be whether Erin Andrews will be with Fox. It certainly sounds like she expects to be, but Andrews’ contract with Fox expired following the end of the NFL season.