Mike Tirico missed the Sunday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 8 November because of a health issue, NBC announced on Sunday afternoon. It was the first time Tirico has missed a Sunday Night Football assignment since he became the network’s lead NFL voice in 2022, and the first time he has missed any assignment since taking over the role. Noah Eagle filled in on play-by-play alongside analyst Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Melissa Stark.
Mike Tirico announced the news himself in a statement released by NBC hours before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff at Soldier Field in Chicago. “Unfortunately, I will have to miss tonight’s game in Chicago due to a health issue,” he said. “I look forward to watching tonight and can’t wait to be back with Cris, Melissa and the rest of our SNF team next Sunday night in Cincinnati.” NBC did not disclose any further details about the health issue.
The timing was awkward for Mike Tirico and for NBC. Sunday’s game was scheduled to be the 300th NFL broadcast of his career, according to a profile of the announcer by The Athletic last week, and the milestone will now have to wait a week. Tirico, 59, said he expects to return for the next Sunday Night Football game, a Week 10 meeting between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on 15 November.
Eagle was a natural choice to step in for Mike Tirico. NBC’s second NFL voice, he had called the Miami-Notre Dame college game for NBC on Saturday night, about 90 minutes outside Chicago, and he was already close by. Eagle was also the designated backup voice for the Super Bowl in February in case Tirico was unable to perform his duties, so the network had a plan in place for exactly this situation.
Mike Tirico and the late change
Mike Tirico will also miss Tuesday’s NBA game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers for NBC, with Eagle filling in again, according to Sports Media Watch. Eagle had been due to call the Washington Wizards against the Detroit Pistons on Peacock on Monday, and Jason Benetti will replace him on that game. The reshuffle shows how one absence ripples through a broadcast schedule built around a single lead voice.
The game went ahead without Mike Tirico, with the 6-2 Bears hosting the 3-5 Buccaneers at Soldier Field. Collinsworth and Stark worked the game as usual, and Eagle handled the play-by-play. NBC announced the change on Sunday afternoon, hours before kickoff, which left little time for viewers to adjust to a different voice on the biggest game of the week.
Mike Tirico and the 300th game wait
This is the second time in just over a year that Tirico has had to step away from a high-profile assignment at short notice for health reasons. At last year’s Kentucky Derby, he had to leave NBC’s coverage mid-show after a severe allergic reaction linked to his nut allergy, after eating something that contained a nut. The reaction caused swelling in his throat and nose and made breathing difficult, and Ahmed Fareed, who was on site as a secondary host, filled in.
It is not clear whether an allergic reaction is behind Mike Tirico’s latest absence. All that is known so far is that Tirico is dealing with a health issue that kept him off the air on Sunday night, and that he is already talking about returning next week. The lack of detail has left room for speculation, but NBC and Tirico have said nothing beyond the statement, and there is no sign the issue is serious enough to put his return in doubt.
Mike Tirico became NBC’s lead NFL announcer ahead of the 2022 season, taking over from Al Michaels, and he had not previously missed an assignment for Sunday Night Football or during his time as the voice of ESPN’s Monday Night Football. His record of never missing a game is part of why Sunday’s absence drew so much attention, and why the 300th broadcast, when it comes in Cincinnati next week, will carry a little extra meaning.
For now, the plan is simple: Eagle calls the games, Tirico rests, and the milestone waits. The broadcaster said he will watch Sunday’s game from home, and he told viewers he cannot wait to be back with his team next Sunday night. NBC has not said whether it will mark the 300th broadcast when it happens, but the number will be there in the record books when Tirico takes his seat in Cincinnati.