As America geared up for the Super Bowl, the FOX Sports crew took the opportunity to introduce -- with much fanfare -- its newest studio analyst for 2023: Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
Summoned on-air during the Chiefs-Eagles pregame show, Jeter was greeted by FOX broadcasters Curt Menefee, Michael Strahan and -- appropriately -- former Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez, who joked that a "rookie" Jeter will have to pay when the crew grabs dinner in New York City.
"I never thought in my wildest dreams that we'd be reunited," Rodriguez said as he presented Jeter with a customized jersey with his name on it. "But here we are!"
Jeter had previously moonlighted on the FOX crew during the 2022 postseason, and shared an anecdote about one of his biggest rivals as a player, also a studio analyst for FOX.
"I was on set at the World Series in Philly," Jeter said with a grin, "and [David] Ortiz kept showing me his World Series rings, so I figured I'd just join the team now so we can humble him a little bit."
Though Jeter will presumably be working primarily on baseball, he was put on the spot for a prediction for the Big Game -- and with an animated crowd behind him wearing both Chiefs and Eagles jerseys, he was as diplomatic as one might expect.
"Look, it's kind of hard for me to ever pick against [Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes], because you know, we played against his dad. So, uh, I'm hoping for a good game," Jeter said. "I'm trying to be politically correct here! This is not my element here, with football fans!"
Not to worry: As soon as baseball season rolls around, The Captain will be right where he belongs.