Al Michaels, 81, Addresses NFL Broadcast Future Amid Scrutiny

Veteran NFL announcer Al Michaels, 81, has addressed his future in the broadcast booth, stating he will continue calling games until either he or his employer, Amazon Prime Video, determines it is time to step away. Michaels, who is in his second season as the voice of Thursday Night Football alongside analyst Kirk Herbstreit, has faced increased criticism this season regarding his play-by-play calls.

Michaels' original three-year contract, signed in 2022 when Amazon acquired the rights to Thursday Night Football, has expired. He has since been operating on a year-by-year basis. In an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, Michaels explained his approach to his ongoing role.

"Well, either the people that I work for will tell me, or I'll know myself, a combination," Michaels said. "Let's put it this way. The folks at Amazon and Prime have been fantastic. Fantastic to me."

Amazon has reportedly checked in with Michaels at the end of each season to gauge his interest in returning. He acknowledged that the network might eventually decide to move in a new direction.

"If they come to me and say, you know, it's time for us to move on," Michaels continued. "You guys have been fantastic. You've been great. I've done the NFL for 41 years, which is half my life. Love it. But you know what? At a certain time, it's time. And if they feel it's time, great. And if I feel it's time, I'll know it. And I'll say, 'You know what? Thanks for the memories.'"

Michaels has been a prominent figure in sports broadcasting since 1971, famously calling the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics. He began his national NFL play-by-play career in 1986 on ABC's Monday Night Football before moving to NBC in 2006, and subsequently to Amazon Prime Video in 2022.