Al Michaels out of NBC’s NFL playoff coverage in move he wasn’t expecting
The legendary Al Michaels is out on NBCs NFL playoff coverage, The Post has learned.
Michaels called last years incredible Jaguars comeback win over the Chargers, but he and analyst Tony Dungy were widely panned for a perceived lack of enthusiasm.
Michaels, 79, maybe the greatest NFL TV play-by-player of all time, had a storied run at ABC and NBC calling prime-time football before moving to Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video last season.
Next month, NBC has three playoff games. The networks No. 1 team, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth from Sunday Night Football, will handle two of them, including one that will be exclusive just to the networks streaming service, Peacock.
When NBC has two games on the first weekend of the playoffs, its No. 1 college team, Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge, along with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen will be on the call.
NBC Sports vice president Greg Hughes confirmed the assignments to The Post. Michaels did not return messages.
The move continues a dramatic rise for the 27-year-old Eagle, who will also call the Super Bowl as the play-by-player on Nickelodeons SpongeBob telecast in February.
Al Michaels is out of NBC’s NFL playoff coverage this season, The Post has learned. APMichaels swap out by NBC has been in the works for a while, though Michaels was apparently caught off guard.
During an early November interview with The Post, Michaels said he believed he was still going to call the game on NBC, but did not know with whom he would be working.
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When informed by The Post about it being in limbo, Michaels sounded unaware of the possibility.
Its in my deal, Michaels said. Where are you hearing that from? Thats part of my deal. Are you hearing something that Im not hearing?
There has long been tension between Michaels and top NBC executives though they have done their best to hide it from public view, even giving Michaels an emeritus title when he was replaced.
There was a failure to truly define what the emeritus role really meant, except for calling the playoff game.
NBC decided to move on from Michaels, even though he longed to stay at the top perch on Sunday Night Football.” NBC had long promised Tirico the lead role and kept true to its word even after Michaels went out with a tremendous performance for NBC in Super Bowl LVI in February 2022.
During the broadcast shuffle, Michaels had interest in replacing Joe Buck when he left for Fox. Michaels was also ESPN/ABCs second choice if it failed to land Buck for Monday Night Football.
Michaels landed at Amazon Prime Video, where he has called Thursday Night Football for the streaming service.
Al Michaels (r.) calls “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon Prime Video with Kirk Herbstreit (l.) Getty ImagesWith Michaels not returning for the playoff game, it ends what is arguably the most storied NFL network broadcast play-by-play career of all time.
Michaels and Pat Summerall are tied with 11 Super Bowls called on television.
Michaels still has one more year on his Amazon deal and told The Post in November he plans on returning.
Meanwhile NBC is very high on Eagle and Blackledge following their first season calling the Big Ten. The duo will have NBCs call of the Steelers and Bengals on Dec. 23.
That day, Tirico and Collinsworth will be in the booth for the Bills and the Chargers that is exclusively on Peacock.
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