Chris Simms lands football analyst gig at CBS: Report

Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms will continue following in his father Phil's footsteps and into the TV booth for CBS this fall.

Simms — who played in parts of five seasons for the Buccaneers, Titans and Broncos, but never fully recovered from a life-threatening ruptured spleen early in the 2006 season — will be analyzing three relatively low-profile games for the network, beginning with the Titans-Bengals matchup in Week 3.

The 34-year-old New Jersey native has never worked a minute in the booth of an NFL game but did work a few college games for Fox last season.

But dad thinks his son is a natural and has a lot of football knowledge under that shock of familial blond hair.

"I think he has great potential,"' Phil said. "He was raised to do it in this way. Him, me, my wife, anyone who walks into our house, most likely the conversation is going to center around football and we're going to talk about it. That's the way we've been our whole lives."

CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus went even further: "He's better looking and more articulate than his father is; he got his good looks from his mother . . . We're starting him very slowly on a few small games and we'll see how he grows, but he's got a great football mind and has worked not only as a player but as an assistant coach also." 

Simms had worked as a coaching and scouting assistant for the Patriots, but with two young children he sought a more family-friendly schedule. 

"I struggled with that," he said. "I was offered another job in the NFL, and that sparked a discussion with my wife: Are we going to live this life and move every two or three years to climb the ladder? This is a little more stable.

"My kids can grow up. This is still work. but I get home at a decent hour and see my kids every night."

Younger Simms' current job is as an analyst for Bleacher Report so he's knows what is going on around the league.

"I have to know everybody," he said. "I really know, I'm not going to say everything, but a lot about every team."

The big question remaining now is whether or not he'll say Redskins?

Phil Simms' son Matt signs with rival Jets

To many New York Giants fans, Matt Simms — the son of Big Blue quarterback legend Phil Simms— has crossed over to the Dark Side after signing on with the New York Jets.  Yesterday, the undrafted Simms was signed by Rex Ryan and his Gang Green after giving Simms a tryout at their three-day rookie minicamp.

The younger Simms lives in New Jersey and was a star at the state and national high school powerhouse Don Bosco Prep before heading on to an unremarkable college career.

Simms played at Tennessee, where he lost the starting job in 2010 and made only two starts in 2011.

"With Simms, the thing that you're impressed with immediately is how he can throw throw the football," Ryan said.  "I mean, he definitely has a great arm.  he can really spin it.  The thing you don't see is obviously how he is against the rush and all that.

"I followed him.  I knew him at Tennessee.  [He] kind of had ups-and-downs when he was there.  But the kid has the arm talent.  Obviously, he's got the pedigree."

Simms' dad Phil played for the Giants from 1979-93 and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXI after having an almost flawless game against the Denver Broncos.

The Jets meanwhile continue to stockpile quarterbacks.  Simms will join Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy and G.J. Kinne on the QB roster.

"The game (is) going to take you for a loop every now and then," said Simms.  "I just want to keep playing football.  It's as simple as that.  I just want to keep playing the game that I've been playing since I was a child."

Simms' older brother Chris played in the NFL before a serious injury hindered his career.

Chris Simms Hands-Off Pot Bust Blame to Backseat Pal

Tennessee Titans quarterback Chris Simms is passing his smoking-and-driving pot bust to a friend who was in the back seat of the car when it was pulled over last summer.  Simms, the son of popular former-New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, smelled like marijuana and refused to take a blood test, according to the arresting officers.

Yesterday, Simms' lawyer said that the 30 year-old QB--who was driving a Mercedes SUV back from a party in a with his wife Danielle, friend Charlie Granitell and another man in the back seat--noticed Granitell starting to toke up.

"Get rid of that stuff!" Simm's lawyer told the jurors Simms screamed at Granitell right before they were pulled over at a Manhattan DWI checkpoint on July 1.

Police Officer Francisco Acosta said Simms was pulled over for speeding and driving erratically and testified that Simms admitted he had smoked marijuana.

Acosta said, " He [Simms] was out of it, like a zombie.  He was very, very unsteady on his feet."

The QB's defense attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said the officer got it wrong and that Simms said his friend, Granitell,  had been smoking the weed.

Granitell will take the stand today in Simms defense of the misdemeanor stoned-driving charge and admit he was the guilty party according to Steinberg.

Simms' wife, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the arrest, will also testify.

Acosta told jurors, "She [Danielle] was telling him, 'Don't say a word!  Don't tell them anything!  Don't take any tests!'" during the arrest.

Simms is facing one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs.  He claims he was not stoned and would not jeopardize his wife and unborn baby by driving while impaired.

Simms faces a year in jail and a fine if convicted.  He is not expected to testify.

If he can pass the blame to his friend, it might be the biggest completion of his career.

He Still Thinks He's Playing In Mile High

By Tony Mangia

Chris Simms Goes From Quarterback To Half Bake

Chris Simms the former pro-quarterback and son of former New York Giants great, Phil Simms, was "like a zombie" when he was pulled over for making a "wild turn" according an NYPD cop who testified yesterday at Simms' court hearing.

The arresting officer said his tongue "got numb" from the smoke coming from the Mercedes Simms was driving. "It was coming from his breath," said Officer Francisco Acosta," There was a strong marijuana smell coming from the car." Acosta said Simms was "like a slow motion type of person."

Simms was pulled over at a DWI checkpoint on July 1 on West Houston street in Manhattan. He was with his then-pregnant wife who told him to keep quiet and refuse drug testing. When asked if he had any pot in the car, Simms told the officer, "I smoked everything before."

The former Tennessee Titan QB has pleaded not guilty to operating a vehicle while impaired. Simms' attorneys asked the judge to throw out the evidence because the police had no probable cause.

SHORT JABS

ESPN Boys Club Gets Bigger

An ESPN Emmy-winning motor-sports producer/cameraman joined Steve Phillips and the rest of the fraternity of ESPN perverts. Neil Goldberg was arrested on a warrant for public lewdness, simple trespassing and breach of peace after a dog-walker spotted the 52 year-old standing on a stool outside a neighbor's window pleasuring himself. When the watcher realized he was being watched, Goldberg went back into his own house. Goldberg created the crew-cam inside of racing pit-crews for ESPN. Wonder if Erin Andrews ever worked a NASCAR event?