Phil Simms 'looking forward' to new challenge of calling Big Ten college football games on Peacock

Phil Simms has two Super Bowl rings, seven grandchildren and a 70th birthday coming up in November. So it would be understandable if he chose to chill at this stage of his life.

That is not his thing, though. Hence his response when offered a job working select Big Ten football games for NBC on its Peacock streaming service.

“I didn’t even think,” Simms told Newsday. “I just said, ‘Sure, I’ll do it.’ ”

That has been his approach since his 26-year run as a game and studio analyst for CBS ended after the 2023 season.

“Let me put it this way: I don’t know about age or whatever, but I will do this as long as I possibly can,” he said. “I can’t imagine not doing stuff.

“I love following the NFL. It’s what I do every day, almost, still. And to be involved in college football, too, I’m looking forward to the whole thing. I’m going to learn things I never knew.”

Simms will work with play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister on the Western Illinois at Illinois game on Aug. 29 and Miami of Ohio at Rutgers on Sept. 6. He will call a third game that has not yet been announced.

For Simms, this is a network homecoming. He worked at NBC on NFL games with Dick Enberg and Paul Maguire from 1995-98, including Super Bowls XXX and XXXII.

“We’re excited to welcome Phil back to the NBC Sports team,” executive producer Sam Flood said in a news release.

But calling college games is entirely new to him. Simms has been studying the rosters, amazed at the volatility in the NIL/transfer portal era.

“I won’t tell you the team,” he said, “but I’m trying to look at the roster that they put out and the stats from last year and I’m just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s such turnover.’ It’s incredible.”

Simms always has been a fan of the college game, even during his decades mostly focused on the NFL. He said watching games all day on Saturdays has been a longtime family ritual.

“It’s not just me,” he said. “It’s my wife [Diana].”

He said he might be ready for bed, only to have her ask about the schedule of late games.

“I’d get up at, like, 5 a.m. on Sunday mornings when I was working at CBS,” he said. “So I try to go to sleep by 10 o’clock or in that area. Then I would roll over, wake up, and it’s 11:45 and there’s the damn TV on.

“And [Diana would say], ‘It’s a good game. I’ve got to see the finish.’”

Simms said his 2025 football season commitments are not yet fully fleshed out. Last year he made weekly appearances on WFAN on Wednesdays and SiriusXM on Fridays.

He also does work with the Giants, the team for which he played quarterback from 1979-93. He has called preseason games the past two seasons and helped with other content for the team. On Monday he is scheduled to interview quarterback Russell Wilson.

“I really enjoy being around it,” he said. “It’s fun.”

Simms has attended about a half-dozen Giants practices this summer and has been impressed with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

“I never saw a practice where it wasn't pretty good,” Simms said. “I don't really know him. But he's got a great personality. What he's done in the first two [preseason] games, it's been awesome.

“I'm sure the Giants are extremely happy with their first-round draft pick. I don't look at him and see a weakness that you have to really worry about.”

The Peacock gig has Simms energized for a new adventure. He has known Burmeister for years, so he expects that collaboration to go smoothly.

As for the evolving world of college sports, he said he does not plan to get into the ins and outs of NIL and the transfer portal during telecasts. One thing he does like about the new system is that it allows players to seek out a place where they can maximize their experience.

“They get a chance to play, next thing you know, they’re in the NFL,” he said. “Those things probably wouldn’t happen if they didn’t get somewhere and play and show what they can do.”

He added, “Probably the biggest one, of course, is quarterbacks. It seems like the season’s over and it’s like, spin the wheel and wherever they land.”

Figuring all that out is part of the plan: Keeping busy.

“I’m not going to sit back and just retire,” Simms said. “I don’t know when or if that will ever happen. I’m going to be involved in something. This came up at a great time.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.