It’s official: Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner will join Kevin Harlan in the Westwood One Sports NFL broadcast booth as the new lead color analyst for Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl. Warner, who has filled in on select Monday Nights for the past few seasons, becomes only the fourth regular Monday Night radio analyst for Westwood One since its broadcast partnership with the NFL began forty years ago. Warner follows in the footsteps of Boomer Esiason (2000-2017), Matt Millen (1996-2000), and Hall of Fame Coach Hank Stram (1978-1984, 1987-1995).
Warner’s first broadcast for this season will be Monday Night, September 10th, when the Oakland Raiders host the Los Angeles Rams.
“Since retiring from the NFL I have been blessed with tremendous opportunities as a broadcaster,” said Warner. “I have especially enjoyed working at NFL Network on NFL Gameday morning and my color-analyst role on radio for Westwood One. I couldn’t be more excited to continue both of those roles well into the future. I am grateful to Westwood One for this opportunity and for believing in me with this role. The bar has been set extremely high by Boomer Esiason and others, and I look forward to grabbing the torch, working hard, and maintaining the sense of excellence that has become synonymous with Westwood One. I also look forward to continuing my relationship with Kevin Harlan, who I believe is one of the best play-by-play people in the business. My hope is that together we can become one of the best teams in the business.”
“We have been proud partners of the NFL for more than four decades and our best-in-class broadcasts feature the brightest stars from the league,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “Kurt Warner is a keen observer with a great eye and unique analysis. He adds another layer of authenticity, knowledge and expertise to our roster and is an incredible asset for our loyal and passionate listeners and engaged advertisers.”
“To have a player, and person, of Kurt Warner’s caliber become our lead analyst is incredibly exciting,” said Howard Deneroff, EVP/Executive Producer, Westwood One Sports. “We look forward to Kevin and Kurt working together full-time, and we are confident that they will continue the legacy of great Westwood One broadcast teams which have informed and entertained listeners on Monday nights for decades.”
Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame last summer, Warner played 12 seasons in the NFL, leading two different franchises to Super Bowl appearances. As the ringleader of what became known as the “Greatest Show on Turf,” Warner guided the St. Louis Rams to numerous offensive records, including most points scored in a season, and two Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV, for which he was named MVP. He also led the Arizona Cardinals to an appearance in Super Bowl XLIII. He captured the NFL’s MVP Award in both the 1999 and 2001 seasons, but was arguably at his best in the playoffs, setting several NFL career postseason records along the way; including passing yards per game, career completion percentage, and yards per attempt. Owner of the top three passing performances in Super Bowl history at the time of his retirement, Warner has the second-most career Super Bowl passing yards with 1,156.
Warner’s off-field accolades include the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, The Bart Starr Award, The Good Guy Award from the Pro Football Writers Association, USA WEEKEND’s Most Caring Athlete, ABC World News Person of the Week, Forbes Magazine’s America’s Most-Liked Sports Figure, and Sports Illustrated’s Best Role Model.
Warner’s strong faith and belief in giving back are evidenced by the two charitable foundations he and his wife Brenda created and which keep him actively involved — The First Things First Foundation, dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values, and Treasure House, which provides a supportive living environment for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
After his illustrious playing career, Warner joined NFL Network in 2010 as an analyst. During the football season, Warner can be seen on NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning, the most comprehensive Sunday pregame show on television. He can also be seen as a regular contributor throughout the week on NFL Total Access.
The 2018-2019 NFL regular season kicks off on Westwood One when the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, September 6, 2018 at 7:30 pm ET. The Monday Night Football schedule begins with its annual doubleheader — first, the New York Jets visit the Detroit Lions, followed by the Oakland Raiders hosting the Los Angeles Rams. Doubleheader coverage begins at 6:30 pm ET.
Westwood One’s NFL broadcast coverage can heard on nearly 500 terrestrial radio stations nationwide, as well as on SiriusXM, the TuneIn app, and on NFL Game Pass.
