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Nate Burleson would love for Travis Kelce to join him on CBS’s NFL Today.
Burleson sat down with Front Office Sports’s Baker Machado on Thursday and was asked whether he thinks the star Chiefs tight end will join the media when he retires from the NFL.
“Yeah,” Burleson answered. “Because Travis Kelce is a receiver in the tight end’s body. And if we know anything about receivers, we love attention and we love to hear ourselves talk and we love to listen to ourselves. So, he’s going to continue to want to hear himself talk.”
Burleson played wide receiver for the Vikings, Seahawks, and Lions in an NFL career that spanned from 2000-2013.
“Listen, if Jason Kelce, who was the guy that reluctantly went into TV, you know Trav is the guy that they’re gonna put on camera and he’s gonna do amazing,” Burleson continued. “He’s articulate, he got the swag, he knows the game and he’s a master of being in front of a microphone given his podcast and the success.”
Burleson, who in addition to his work on CBS’s NFL studio coverage is also a daily co-host of CBS Mornings, knows that Kelce will not come at a cut-rate price.
“What I do know is whoever is going after Travis, they’re going to have to back that Brinks truck up, because one, he’s made a ton of money in the league. His lady [Taylor Swift] got paper, I’ll be honest. So, he’s not gonna show up for cheap change. And I just don’t know if CBS got the budget, but I’d gladly take a pay cut,” Burleson laughed. “My agent didn’t hear that by the way.”
With Kelce set to return to Kansas City for a 14th season, the sports media sweepstakes for his services will seemingly have to wait. Nevertheless, Burleson will have a new CBS teammate during the 2026 season in former Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, who is replacing Matt Ryan on The NFL Today.
Speaking to FOS, Burleson revealed that he helped recruit Wilson to CBS. The former wide receiver also shared that he’s bullish on the ex-quarterback’s future in the industry, pointing to his personality and on-field experience.
“Russell knows the game—high football IQ, coolest dude ever,” Burleson said. “If anybody has ever met him, they know what type of guy he is, how he shows up on and off the field.”
Burleson recalled when he was a receiver on the Lions with Calvin Johnson, and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan remarked that Johnson was too nice and he wanted Burleson to help “bring that dog out of him.”
“I’m not saying I gotta bring the dog outta Russ, right?” Burleson said. “I’m saying I wanna show the different side of Russ. I want to show the very funny side. I wanna show that side that’s passionate. I want Russ to show the different layers of who he is.”
Looking Forward
As for his future on CBS, Burleson still has goals he hopes to achieve. While James Brown remains entrenched as The NFL Today’s longtime host, the former Nevada star says that he’d like to fill the same role whenever it is that the 75-year-old broadcaster decides to retire.
“Yeah, 100%,” Burleson said of his interest in succeeding Brown. “And I say that with the fullest sense of humility as I can.”
Burleson, who has filled in as the pregame show’s host on multiple occasions in recent years, emphasized that he celebrates every summer when CBS executives inform him that Brown is returning for another season. But when the time comes, he hopes that he’ll be the next man up—and he’s already envisioned what that call might sound like in what would be a full-circle moment in his broadcasting career.
“I want James Brown around for as long as I can have him. I have learned so much, I wouldn’t be the person I am on-camera if it wasn’t for JB,” he said. ”So selfishly, I want to keep learning from one of the greatest to ever do it. And I don’t want a call from anybody else if I ever get that seat. I want JB to call me … he was the first call [when CBS first hired Burleson], and he said, ‘hey, you’re going to join us.’ And that was almost 10 years ago.”
