Cris Collinsworth could leave NBC’s Sunday Night Football in another shocking sports broadcast shakeup

The world of sports broadcasting is being shaken up in recent days. After yesterday’s announcement of legendary Adrian Wojnarowski’s retirement from ESPN to focus on running his alma mater’s sports program, rumors are now swirling that another prominent analyst, now from the NFL, may be stepping down to make room for another good analyst who was left without a job thanks to Tom Brady.

Cris Collinsworth is a name most NFL fans immediately recognize. For over three decades, he’s been one of the most prominent voices in football broadcasting, and since 2009, he’s been a key part of NBC’s Sunday Night Football team. After taking over for the legendary John Madden, Collinsworth has been the color commentator we’ve come to expect every Sunday night. But according to Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated, his time in this role may be coming to an end.

Collinsworth’s contract with NBC is reportedly set to expire within the next year or two, sparking speculation about whether the network might make a change in the booth. One name that’s been floated as a potential replacement is Greg Olsen, a former NFL tight end turned analyst.

Olsen recently found himself in a tough spot after being demoted from Fox’s No. 1 team to make room for Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champ. Naturally, Olsen wants to be a top analyst, and Traina points out that there aren’t many opportunities for him to step into that role. “Olsen has made it clear that he wants to be a No. 1 analyst somewhere,” Traina explained.

Is this Cris Collinsworth’s last season on SNF?
This situation brings NBC’s Sunday Night Football team into focus. The network has already replaced long-time play-by-play announcer Al Michaels with Mike Tirico, and now some wonder if they’ll consider replacing Collinsworth as well. As Traina wrote, “Would the network… want to remain loyal to Collinsworth, who has been with NBC since 2006?”

There’s no denying that Collinsworth has had a legendary run. He’s been the No. 1 analyst for NBC for over 16 years and has worked on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, including the Olympics and Thursday Night Football. While change is inevitable in broadcasting, many fans will have mixed feelings about seeing him leave Sunday Night Football.

Whether NBC decides to stick with Collinsworth or make a change to someone like Olsen, it’s clear the network is facing a tough decision. Collinsworth’s familiar voice has become a staple of NFL Sundays, and finding someone to fill those shoes won’t be easy. But as we all know, the NFL and broadcasting world are ever-evolving.