‘For NFL fans, the FOX NFL Sunday desk hasn’t been the same without Jimmy Johnson‘s iconic laugh, but a Christmas reunion with an old friend proved some bonds don’t fade with retirement. While the NFL world was busy with holiday games, two of its most legendary broadcast partners, Jimmy Johnson and Terry Bradshaw, had a reunion of their own that reminded fans of a golden era.

“Friends for life!!,” commented Jimmy under his and Terry Bradshaw’s picture.

The meetup happened at the former’s waterfront bar and grill complex, Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill. The duo stood side by side, laughing, with Terry’s left hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. Both wore different shades of blue t-shirts.

It was Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill’s official Instagram page that posted the picture of the legendary duo. The post read, “Legendary coach Jimmy Johnson and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw laughing it up inside JJ’s Sports Bar 🎤🏈 Good friends, good stories, and good times — that’s the Big Chill way 😎🍻.”

Since leaving the Cowboys in 1994, Jimmy Johnson became part of the FOX NFL Sunday analysts. He did take a break in between when he went to coach the Miami Dolphins, but returned in 2002. His friendship with Terry blossomed when they were co-workers.

“As you know, probably the most fun I’ve ever had in my career, and that’s counting Super Bowls and National Championships, was at Fox Sports,” Jimmy Johnson said after retiring from FOX. “I have an absolute ball with my friends on the set and the best friends I’ve ever had there with Fox.”

When they used to work together, the two would poke fun at each other. Even after his retirement, Terry Bradshaw continues the tradition. Rob Gronkowski replaced Jimmy Johnson on FOX, and Terry immediately commented that the average age of the group went down by 60 years, since Johnson was 82 and Gronk is in his late thirties.

While Christmas certainly seemed merrier for Jimmy Johnson and Terry Bradshaw, there is a specific reason the latter was spending time with his friends instead of reporting for his duties.

Terry Bradshaw and Michael Strahan’s NFL participation banned on Christmas

Terry Bradshaw and Michael Strahan are well-known faces who work as analysts on NFL game days. But thanks to FOX and ESPN, they were missing from Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL broadcasts. Why, you ask? Well, the reason is simple. These broadcasting channels were not ready to loan their premier faces to Netflix.

Netflix is the world’s leading streaming platform and hosted two of the most high-voltage games on Christmas – the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Washington Commanders, and the Detroit Lions vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

At the end of 2029, the NFL’s next media rights cycle will kick off. So, ESPN and FOX are careful not to let Netflix get the upper hand in the scenario, especially after last Christmas’ broadcast. 2024 was the first time that Netflix broadcast these NFL games after investing $150 million for rights. The result was the highest-viewed Christmas Day ever. Besides the games and the Beyoncé Bowl, the analyst panel was also sharp. Greg Olsen, Laura Rutledge, and Olsen’s FOX studio team were present. But this time, FOX and ESPN prevented their analysts from participating

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It was not just Terry Bradshaw and Michael Strahan, but Tom Brady, Kevin Burkhard, and Troy Aikman who were also banned from joining.

Following the Christmas games, Week 17 still has a lot to offer. After the Lions’ official exit from the playoff contention, it will be interesting to see how the rest of them line up.