Al Michaels, the acclaimed sports broadcaster in the United States, will no longer be a part of NBC’s coverage of the NFL playoffs. Michaels won hearts with his narration of the Jaguars’ triumphant comeback against the Chargers in last year’s game.
However, this year, his shoes will be filled by Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, the network’s foremost team from ‘Sunday Night Football’, who will take on three games, including one that will solely be showcased on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock.
Greg Hughes, the Vice President of NBC Sports, verified these adjustments in a conversation with The Post. The shift in roles underlines a significant ascension for Eagle, who at the mere age of 27 is already an important part of the network’s football broadcast lineup. The decision to exclude Michaels from this year’s NFL playoff coverage has been on NBC’s agenda for some time, although the news seemed unexpected to Michaels himself.
In an earlier conversation with The Post in November, Michaels had expressed his anticipation about calling the match on NBC, but had displayed uncertainty about his colleague lineup.
When prompted about his role wavering in uncertainty, Michaels appeared clueless about the prospect. There seems to be an ongoing unease between Michaels and the top brass at NBC, even though both parties have made considerable efforts to maintain a congenial public image, opting to mask the tension beneath an honorary title conferred upon Michaels at his departure.
However, there was ambiguity concerning what exactly his emeritus role was, besides narrating the playoff match. In a noteworthy move, NBC opted to part ways with Michaels, irrespective of his deep-rooted aspiration to sustain his crucial presence on Sunday Night Football.
Continuity was given to the assurance NBC gave to Tirico for the primary role, steadfastly fulfilling their end of the promise even in the aftermath of Michaels’ phenomenal commentary during the Super Bowl in February 2022.
As the reshuffling of the commentary lineup ensued, Michaels expressed his interest in succeeding Joe Buck following his departure from Fox. Michaels also emerged as ESPN/ABC’s preferred backup candidate in case they fell short of acquiring Buck for Monday Night Football. Ultimately, Michaels found himself lending his voice to Thursday Night Football offered by the streaming giant, Amazon Prime Video.
With the newly made arrangements indicating that Michaels will not be resuming his role as the commentator for the playoffs, it brings a close to what is perhaps the greatest career in network play-by-play narration for NFL. Seen as equals, Michaels and Pat Summerall hold the record for the most Super Bowls called on television, at an outstanding total of 11 each.
Despite these developments, Michaels, currently tied to a deal with Amazon for one more year, communicated to The Post in November his intentions to continue his journey in sports broadcasting. On the other hand, NBC seems to be rather bullish about Eagle and Blackledge, who, after having completed their debut season with Big Ten now have the opportunity to call the game between the Steelers and Bengals on December 23.
Simultaneously, in the same booth but calling another game, Tirico and Collinsworth will be directing the game between the Bills and the Chargers. However, this game will be an exclusive broadcast on NBC’s Peacock platform. Thus, the sports landscape continues to evolve, with renowned voices changing channels and rising stars making their mark, all while we, the fans, anticipate exciting sports moments to come.