Nate Burleson Is Not CBS's Long Term Answer For Lead NFL Host

College basketball fans were surprised last week to see Ernie Johnson not anchoring CBS/TNT’s NCAA tournament coverage.

"Welcome back to the Road to the Final Four. I am not Ernie Johnson. Ernie has already advanced to the Final Four," fill-in host Nate Burleson joked.

Johnson had previously requested more time off and won’t begin his studio work until the Final Four.

CBS opting to fill the void with Burleson is notable. For one, he’s not a traditional host. He’s a former NFL wide receiver. He’s also long been viewed as a potential successor to James Brown as the lead host of the NFL on CBS. Consider his work on the NCAA tournament as a tryout of sorts.

Put bluntly, it hasn’t gone well. Burleson comes off corny and doesn’t have the natural instincts to steer a fast-moving conversation. He looks and feels out of place. Viewers have noticed. The reaction has been largely negative.

Hosting a live event studio show is one of the hardest jobs in sports media. That’s why the best broadcasters have historically filled those roles, from Ernie Johnson to Bob Costas, from Dan Patrick to Scott Van Pelt.

Former athletes add value to the media through name recognition and an assumed understanding of the game. And Burleson is a solid analyst on CBS. But hosting is a different skill set. The same applies to Ryan Clark, who hosts a weekly show on the CW.

And while current CBS Sports management likes Burleson, the company is in flux.

CBS Mornings Co-Host Nate Burleson, Live from the CBS Broadcast Center on Sept 29. 2025. (Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS News via Getty Images)

Last summer, Skydance acquired CBS parent company Paramount. Founder and CEO David Ellison has already made significant changes on the news side, including bringing in Bari Weiss to reshape the editorial direction. Sports is likely next.

The 2028 Super Bowl will be the first under Ellison’s control. By all indications, James Brown will host the event. But at 75-years-old, it may be his last Super Bowl in that role.

In theory, CBS would want a successor lined up for the following Super Bowl cycle. And Ellison’s track record suggests he will be aggressive in that search. 

Unlike current leadership, Ellison and whoever he installs to run CBS Sports won’t have ties to Burleson. He’ll be evaluated like anyone else.

ESPN’s Laura Rutledge is a name to watch. At 37, she’s already one of the best NFL studio hosts in the industry. But with ESPN preparing for its first Super Bowl broadcast next season, Rutledge is slated for a sideline role, while Scott Van Pelt and Mike Greenberg handle hosting duties.

Rutledge will eventually be the lead NFL host at ESPN, if she stays patient. However, CBS could entice her to leave by making her the face of its NFL coverage sooner.

Other names worth considering include Kay Adams and Scott Hanson. Adams has a polarizing reputation internally, but she’s widely respected as a host. With Netflix signing Elle Duncan (gross), it’s unclear if Adams will continue leading its Christmas Day NFL coverage. Hanson, meanwhile, has built a strong following through RedZone and would give CBS a more energetic, likable presence in the studio.

In any case, replacing a fixture like James Brown should mean finding someone with actual hosting experience. The awkwardness of the March Madness studio shows underscores why.

Nate Burleson is a good analyst. Let him be that.