‘Most fun I ever had’: Jimmy Johnson retires after three decades as Fox NFL analyst

More than three decades after first making the jump from the NFL sideline to a TV studio, Jimmy Johnson is retiring from his longtime role as an analyst on “Fox NFL Sunday.”

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

“The most fun I ever had in my career, and that’s counting Super Bowls and national championships, was at Fox Sports,” Johnson said. “I have an absolute ball with my friends on the set — best friends I’ve ever had — there with Fox. …”

“But I’ve made an extremely difficult decision. 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, and I’ll see them occasionally. It’s been a great run starting back 31 years ago.”

Fox NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any potential replacements for Johnson.

Johnson was a defensive lineman at the University of Arkansas and helped the Razorbacks win the national title in 1964. He later was named to the school’s all-decade team for the 1960s and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

After college, Johnson went into coaching. His first head coaching job was at Oklahoma State from 1979-1983, then he moved on to the University of Miami, where he coached the Hurricanes to the national championship following the 1987.

In 1989, Johnson accepted the Dallas Cowboys job from team owner Jerry Jones, a former teammate from the Arkansas national championship team decades earlier. Following a win over San Francisco in the NFC championship game on Jan. 17, 1993, Johnson solidified his standing in team lore by greeting his players with what has become one of the best known rhetorical questions in the NFL: “How ‘bout them Cowboys?”

After leading Dallas to victory in Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII, Johnson parted ways with Jones and the Cowboys after the second championship in 1994. Johnson was one of the initial hires — along with current analysts Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long — for the fledgling “Fox NFL Sunday” studio show in 1994. Johnson departed in 1996 to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins before returning to the show in 2002.

“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,” Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks said in a statement. “Jimmy served as an inspiration to generations of football fans with his legendary swagger, one-of-a-kind inside and signature humor.”

Michael Strahan, who has appeared on the show with Johnson since 2008, wrote on X: “It has been 17 seasons of fun and laughs sitting next to you. You’re truly one of a kind and thanks for being you and gifting me with one of the best friendships anyone could ever ask for. Hope you enjoy fishing and drinking beers on the boat. You deserve it.”