Jimmy Johnson, who won two Super Bowls and a national championship as a coach, has announced his retirement from Fox Sports after being a part of its NFL coverage for 31 years.

The 81-year-old Johnson made the announcement Monday during an appearance on “The Herd With Colin Cowherd.”

“The most fun I ever had in my career, that’s counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports,” he said, adding that he loved working for CEO Eric Shanks and Fox NFL Sunday producer Bill Richards.

“But I’ve made an extremely difficult decision,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it for the last four or five years and I’ve decided to retire from Fox. I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss all the guys. I’ll see them occasionally. It’s been a great run starting 31 years ago.”

Johnson worked alongside hosts Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw and analysts Howie Long and Michael Strahan.

“Jimmy Johnson was there when Fox NFL Sunday came on-air for the first time 31 years ago, and since then has been a cherished member of our Fox Sports family, which makes today’s retirement news bittersweet,” Shanks said in a statement posted to social media. “Jimmy served as an inspiration to generations of football fans with his legendary swager, one-of-a-kind inside and signature humor.”

Johnson won Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys for the 1992-93 seasons and the college football national championship with Miami in 1987.

Johnson coached the Cowboys for five seasons, stepping down after winning his second Lombardi Trophy and three months later was hired as a Fox NFL pregame show analyst. He left in 1996 to become general manager and coach of the Miami Dolphins. He returned to Fox in 2002.

Johnson’s coaching career started in 1965 as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, Bradshaw’s alma mater. He became a head coach for the first time in 1979, at Oklahoma State, and left after five years for Miami, where he went 52-9 with two No. 2 finishes to go with his 1987 title.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

The Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson and Florida State have reached a proposed settlement that would end their legal fight and change the league’s revenue-distribution model, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the schools have publicly addressed the settlement, which requires all three to formally approve. ESPN first reported details of the settlement.

Trustees at Clemson and Florida State have each scheduled meetings for Tuesday. The FSU meeting specifically lists lawsuits involving the ACC on the agenda, while the Clemson meeting agenda refers to settling “athletic litigations.”

The ACC’s Board of Directors – made up of university presidents and chancellors – will also hold a call to sign off on the settlement Tuesday during a previously scheduled meeting, the person who spoke to AP said.

If approved, the settlement would incorporate viewership ratings into revenue distribution among member schools, which would increase payouts to schools generating the most TV interest. The upside could be $15 million or more for top-earning schools, while it could also result in a decline of about $7 million for others, the person told the AP.

Still, it would offer another sign of stability in the immediate term for the ACC and Commissioner Jim Phillips, who has spent much of his four-year tenure working to find ways to enhance revenue as the league faces an increasing gap behind the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.

The settlement comes roughly a month after ESPN exercised its option to extend its media base-rights agreement with the league through 2036, aligning that deal with a separate one that covers their partnership for the ACC Network through that same period.

It also comes in the first year of a Phillips-championed “success initiative” that allows schools to keep more of the money generated by their own postseason success, which could amount to about $25 million in a year — tied mostly to performance in the College Football Playoff.

League schools signed a grant-of-rights agreement that gives the ACC control of media rights for any school that attempts to exit for the duration of the ESPN deal. Schools had signed that agreement in the lead-up to the ACC Network’s 2019 launch, which meant the league could charge hundreds of millions of dollars for leaving the conference early.

Still, FSU filed a lawsuit in December 2023 seeking to explore potential membership in other leagues and challenging the league’s ability to impose those penalties. Clemson followed in March 2024. The ACC had countersued both.

ACC leaders had been discussing ways to rethink revenue distribution to help potentially resolve the legal fights with FSU and Clemson back to last fall.

The ACC has 18 member schools — 17 in football — after realignment led to the addition of Cal, Stanford and SMU.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

AARON BEARD

By – Bucs Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are committed to securing Chris Godwin’s future with the team, despite the receiver’s impending free agency. Godwin’s season was cut short due to a severe ankle injury sustained during a game against the Baltimore Ravens. This development puts the franchise in a challenging position, as they must weigh the cost of retaining a talented receiver who still has value, but is recovering from injury.

Throughout the NFL Scouting Combine, the Buccaneers have consistently expressed their desire to re-sign Chris Godwin. However, with the new league year and free agency looming, time is of the essence. The Bucs must act quickly to reach an agreement with Godwin, or risk losing him to other interested teams.

—

According to CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin, the Buccaneers are aiming to finalize a deal with Chris Godwin before he officially becomes a free agent, preventing other teams from entering the bidding.

“The Buccaneers got their quarterback and No. 1 receiver re-signed last offseason, and now want to make sure their No. 2 wideout is locked in as well,” Dubin continued. “Godwin is coming off a dislocated ankle suffered late last season, but according to ESPN, Tampa is hoping to get a deal done with the slot receiver before he hits the open market.”

If the Buccaneers fail to make a competitive offer, it’s likely that another team will step in and present Chris Godwin with a more enticing proposal, one that he may find too good to pass up.

According to Spotrac, Chris Godwin’s market value is estimated at $22.2 million per year. However, given his recent injury, it’s unlikely the Buccaneers will be willing to meet that price point, which may create a gap in contract negotiations. Spotrac projects a three-year, $67.5 million contract for Chris Godwin, and it’s possible that another team may be willing to offer the 27-year-old receiver a similar or even more lucrative deal.

The Buccaneers have publicly expressed their desire to retain Chris Godwin. With time running out before free agency begins, it’s time for the team to put their words into action and demonstrate their commitment to keeping him.

Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report

BucsReport.com

For more on this and everything Buccaneers check back here hourly at BucsReport.com