Fox Sports snagged a high-profile free agent and promoted from within to fill the vacancy left by John Lynch.
Former Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler and Fox Sports NFL analyst Charles Davis have been named to the NFL on FOX “B” team, joining play-by-play voice Kevin Burkhardt in a three-man booth, it was announced today. The new team will debut on the August 27 Bears-Titans NFL preseason game.
Cutler and Davis replace John Lynch, who left Fox Sports to become general manager of the 49ers. Fox initially pursued Tony Romo to fill the vacancy, but lost a bidding war to CBS.
Like Romo, Cutler enters the broadcasting world with zero previous experience. Negotiations with Fox came together quickly, according to multiple reports. He auditioned with Fox Sports less than two weeks ago, per Sports Illustrated, and NFL Network reported Friday that talks moved “from flirtation … to done deal in just a few hours.”
As for Davis, Fox Sports’ lead college football analyst from 2007-10 and 2012-15, his presence on the “B” team is a hedge against Cutler possibly returning to the NFL. While Cutler has called his move to the booth “permanent,” there is little doubt that his name will come up in rumors throughout the season.
