Retired football players are systematically taking over morning TV.
First, Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan became a co-host of Good Morning America (after a stint as the replacement to Regis Philbin). Now, former receiver Nate Burleson will become a co-host of CBS This Morning, according to Stephen Battaglio of the Los Angeles Times.
Burleson will join Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil when they move to a new Times Square studio next month. Burleson, who caught the eye of producers when he served as a guest host in June during Dokoupil’s paternity leave, replaces Anthony Mason.
Burleson played for the Vikings, Seahawks, and Lions in an 11-year career that spanned 2003 through 2013.
Already a cast member on The NFL Today, Burleson now becomes a six-day-per-week CBS employee during football season. He also becomes the first original cast member of Good Morning Football to exit the show after five years on air. That could spark an interesting scramble within NFL Network as interested parties position themselves to replace Burleson, who was the only former NFL player on the program.