In 2023, after the season had ended, the entire Fox NFL Sunday crew had a sort of ‘going-away’ dinner for the host Jimmy Johnson in Los Angeles. However, in his mind, the thoughts of calling it a day had started much earlier. And although two years ago, he was all set to walk into the sunset, the NFL legend returned alongside Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw and analysts Howie Long and Michael Strahan “Because there was a hesitation,” as Menefee would put.

But in March 2025, he has finally bid adieu to the broadcasting role he had come to love. Now, Johnson can have some true leisure time at home on Florida beaches with his second wife, Rhonda, or on his boat, Three Rings, named for his three titles as a coach, probably reminiscing his time when he first joined Fox.

31 years ago, when Fox NFL Sunday aired for the first time, Jimmy, a Hall of Fame coach, two-time Super Bowl Champion, a college national championship winner, was the perfect fit for the standards of a pregame show like Fox’s. So now, as he walks away, the very first question anyone would think is will Fox bring in someone to fill his spot? If yes, then who? Seems like Front Office Sports has a lead or two.

Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports tried to answer several burning sports media questions in his April 2 article. Among the 7 “Burning” questions, one was: “Will Fox replace the retired Jimmy Johnson on Fox NFL Sunday?” 

According to him, the Patriots’ legendary TE Rob Gronkowski could be a favorite for replacing Johnson: “The 35-year-old Gronk delivers a more youthful, irreverent vibe alongside TV monuments like the 76-year-old Terry Bradshaw and 65-year-old Howie Long.”

Ever since Gronk finished his 11-year NFL career as a 4-time Super Bowl Champion, he has continued to contribute to Fox Sports for their Fox NFL Sundays and Kickoffs. His presence in Fox Studio has brought a more laid-back and player-centric perspective. Gronk’s deep understanding of the game and larger-than-life personality can boost the show further.

Him entering the show to replace Jimmy also makes sense because it would not be the first time. Previously, he has worked instead of Johnson after the latter reduced his workload on the show to continue to be a part of the crew. Back in 2023 for the week-14 broadcast, the former Patriots star had made a return to the screen for the Cowboys legend as he enjoyed a week off.

Even Shannon Sharpe recently made his guess, “Probably Gronk [Rob Gronkowski]. That’s probably why they had Gronk sitting up there.” So, if it does happen, then Fox will have not one but two Patriots’ legends as faces for NFL coverage.

Tom Brady is already signed on a mammoth $375M deal. While Gronk may not get this kind of earth-shattering money, Fox could convince him to sign full-time, because so far, Gronk hasn’t been a regular on every show. He continues to make sporadic appearances throughout the season. And to make those negotiations simpler for Fox, he doesn’t have any other broadcast obligations anywhere else. So, it could be a no-brainer for the $52.4B empire to invest in someone they are already used to having around.

Interestingly, there are more names in the mix including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Michael Irvin. But one other name fits much better and Fox might be thinking of adding him to their potential star lineup. Someone who is going on a last hurrah to cement his legacy on the gridiron and has an entertaining persona.

Will Travis Kelce switch gridiron glories with broadcasting lore?

After Kelce was denied an unprecedented 3-peat in Super Bowl LIX, his NFL future remained under heavy scrutiny. However, after much deliberation, Kelce chose to run it back one last time. With a year left on his contract, Travis may call it a day once it expires. And if he does, it’s not like he will be devoid of offers.

Front Office Sports believes that if Gronkowski steps into a bigger role from next season, then Fox might try their hands at adding Trav to their TE collection as well. “They could also be in the Kelce sweepstakes if the tight end retires,” per FOS report.

See, the Chiefs’ TE’s brother Jason Kelce is already working with ESPN. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if Travis also followed in his footsteps and transitioned into broadcasting. Considering he boasts immense popularity outside of football through his relationship with Taylor Swift, Fox could see an instant rise in ratings through millions of Swifties. And then there’s Travis himself, who has expressed his desire to broadcast games once his gridiron chapter is over.

“I want to broadcast when I’m done playing. I want to be the talking head that calls games,” Kelce once said on his New Heights Podcast. So, the idea of Gronk and Kelce joining forces on Fox could definitely happen. And if Fox does pull off their signatures, it could generate a buzz around that might be too hot to handle for other networks.