It’s not often you hear an NFL player describe being cut as a “moment of gratitude.” But that’s exactly how Ben DiNucci, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, has chosen to frame one of the most relentless journeys in professional football. Seven releases. Five different franchises, including  Denver, Buffalo, and New Orleans. And yet, every time, his response wasn’t frustration — it was resilience. As he put it, “To be able to be cut seven times, you’ve got to be signed equally as many times.” That perspective alone tells you why DiNucci has become a cult figure for fans who love the grind of the NFL’s fringes just as much as its superstars.

Still, the fascination with DiNucci has never been about his stats — one career start, a handful of preseason snaps, and a stint in the XFL leading the Seattle Sea Dragons to their championship game. It’s been about how he’s handled adversity, the self-deprecating humor, the social media quips, the willingness to pull back the curtain on the NFL’s transactional nature. When he tweeted a picture of an airport beer captioned, “Not many beers better than the ‘I just got cut for the 7th time’ beer. Trust me, you wouldn’t understand.” It went viral not because of the cut, but because DiNucci made fans feel like they were right there with him, keeping the mood light in what would crush most.

And now, instead of fighting for practice squad reps or holding his breath in roster cut meetings, DiNucci is stepping into a brand-new arena. The 28-year-old has joined CBS Sports as a college football analyst, making his broadcast debut this Saturday, calling Bucknell vs. Air Force after his time in Atlanta ended as quickly as it began. “Yeah, this Saturday, you’re going to see a microphone in my hand. I’m calling Bucknell vs. Air Force for CBS Sports,” DiNucci said this week. “It’ll be a new challenge, a new kind of career path… I’m excited to go out there, learn a little bit, fail a little bit, and kind of hit the ground running.” Could his future really be brighter in the booth than under center?

That shift is telling. NFL teams are turning to younger depth pieces, the league is churning through fringe quarterbacks at a dizzying rate, and DiNucci — whose short stint with the Falcons ended after a two-pass preseason appearance — knows the numbers game better than anyone. “At some point, the NFL kind of spits you out and chews you up,” he admitted. Still, his new lane keeps him close to the game, and if a team does call, he hasn’t closed the door. “We’ll cross that road when we get there,” he said. For now, though, he’s choosing playbooks of another kind: research packets, storylines, and production meetings.

Ben DiNucci brings his Cowboys insight to the booth

Even with his new role, DiNucci hasn’t distanced himself entirely from NFL talk — especially when it comes to Dallas, where his career began. He’s still watching closely, weighing in on hot-button stories like Micah Parsons’ looming contract saga: “I understand both sides of it. I’ve been in that locker room, and now I’ve run my own business. Jerry’s just playing the game. Micah’s not going anywhere.” That kind of perspective — firsthand from someone who’s been there, who knows how the machine works — could set DiNucci apart as a broadcaster. He’s seen both the franchise politics and the depth-chart battles firsthand.

Fans may not remember the handful of completions he threw against the Eagles in his lone NFL start, but they will remember his voice if he makes Saturday afternoon his platform.  The QB-turned-analyst has already teased his approach, writing under his CBS announcement, “I’m going to do the Ben DiNucci predicting plays thing — people will love that.” In a booth teeming with ex-players, personality matters. DiNucci’s mix of humor and blunt honesty could give him a distinctive lane.

As DiNucci says, the NFL can chew you up. But maybe this next step isn’t a consolation prize — maybe it’s the real win. After all, you can’t get cut on live television. So the question now isn’t whether Ben DiNucci will ever throw another NFL pass, but whether he’s about to do something even harder: win over an audience not with arm strength, but with voice, vision, and vulnerability.