NBC is moving on with its NFL coverage without Tony Dungy on the airwaves, and the former Super Bowl winner isn’t happy about it.
Dungy’s departure from ‘Football Night in America’ had been mooted for the last couple of weeks and the 70-year-old took to social media on Thursday morning to confirm the news.
‘I have been informed by NBC that I won’t be back with FNIA this fall and it has given me time to reflect and also to look ahead,’ Dungy wrote.
‘It’s disappointing news but I want to thank my NBC family for making the last 17 years so special. I’ll have lasting memories of my time there, especially with Rodney Harrison who has become a tremendous friend.’
Dungy hinted that it could end his involvement in NFL coverage as fans have known it and suggested he could now turn to religious work.
‘God has always directed me in these moments and while I’m not sure what the next step will be for me – whether it will be in football, in broadcasting, or getting more involved in church and community outreach – I know God has plans for my life and I can’t wait (to) see them unfold,’ he added.
Tony Dungy has confirmed his time as an NFL analyst for NBC has come to an end
The network is planning to shake up the studio show that Dungy has been a staple on
The Athletic reported in February that a number of NBC’s studio analysts saw their contracts expire after the end of the 2025 season and while it is unclear exactly who all of those people are, the organization is expected to oversee a shakeup.
The overhaul could end with a big name joining the team – iconic former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has been strongly linked with a move to the studio after ending his 19-year run with the team back in January.
Dungy, who won the Super Bowl as a player for the Steelers before winning it again as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, drew the ire of fans earlier this year when the great Bill Belichick didn’t get enough votes to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Dungy, who was longtime rivals with Belichick, refused to say whether or not he voted for Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner as New England Patriots head coach, to be included – initially hiding behind the curtain of waiting for the results.
But even during the Super Bowl pre-game show in February – which was after the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was revealed – Dungy stayed tight-lipped about whether or not he thinks Belichick should have been included.
That drew a strong response from former Patriots star and fellow NBC voice Rodney Harrison.
‘What I would say, coach, is any list that doesn’t include Bill Belichick at the top is absolutely wrong,’ Harrison said. ‘And a lot of those players that we mentioned, they’re great players.
‘I played with Drew Brees. I played with Adam Vinatieri. But there’s nobody more deserving to be in that Hall of Fame than Coach Belichick.
NBC is reportedly interested in bringing Mike Tomlin onto ‘Football Night in America’
‘I’ve seen his greatness. I’ve seen him design defenses to stop your offense. You just look at the players that he’s impacted.
‘He’s been unbelievable. When I look throughout the Hall of Fame, and even a guy like Tom Brady, Tom Brady wouldn’t be Tom Brady without Bill Belichick. That’s the disappointing part of it, Coach, and you guys got it wrong.’
NBC’s currently locked-down cast includes host Maria Taylor, insider Mike Florio, fantasy football analyst Matthew Berry, reporter Jac Collinsworth and statistician Steve Kornacki.