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Broadcasting legend Al Michaels is out of NBC's NFL playoff coverage pans, NBC Sports Vice President Greg Hughes confirmed to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand on Tuesday (December 12).
Michaels, who had historic tenures with both ABC and NBC prior to joining Amazon Prime Video last season, was pegged to once again cover play-by-play duties for one of NBC's three playoff games next month as an alternate to the team of his successor, Mike Tirico, and longtime former color commentary partner, Cris Collinsworth, who will handle the other two games. The network will instead go with its No. 1 college football broadcasting team of rising star Noah Eagle -- the son of veteran play-by-play man Ian Eagle -- and former NFL quarterback Todd Blackledge, along with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen, Hughes confirmed to Marchand.
Michaels, who called one the AFC Wild Card Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars with Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy for NBC in January, appeared to be caught off guard by earlier reports of a potential swap out when speaking to the New York Post last month.
“It’s in my deal,” Michaels said. “Where are you hearing that from? That’s part of my deal. Are you hearing something that I’m not hearing?”
Michaels and NBC executives have reportedly had long tension despite the emeritus title he was given upon being replaced by Tirico, who was long pegged as his replacement. The legendary broadcaster is tied with the late Pat Summerall for the most Super Bowls called on television (11), the latest of which took place in February 2022.
Michaels' career spans six decades and includes some of the most iconic calls in sports history, including the 'Miracle on Ice' at the 1980 Winter Olympics and the earthquake-interrupted 1989 World Series.