Kirk Herbstreit reportedly to add NFL duties, will call games for streaming service
The voices calling NFL games this fall will sound familiar, but fans may be surprised by what network they are working for.
That’s because some of the NFL’s top announcers are switching jobs. First it was Troy Aikman, who left Fox for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” games.
“Thursday Night Football” games reportedly will be worked by an ESPN analyst. Those games will be carried exclusively on the streaming service Amazon, although fans in local markets will have a chance to watch their team play on an “over-the-air” channel.
Amazon has tabbed college analyst Kirk Herbstreit to work its “Thursday Night Football” games, Peter King of NBC Sports reported Monday.
“I heard last night that Amazon — spurned by Troy Aikman, Sean McVay and John Lynch — has settled on ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit to be the analyst on its Thursday night package of NFL games starting this fall. (He’s likely to continue his current ESPN/ABC duties as well.) Andrew Marchand of the New York Post was first to connect the Amazon-Herbstreit dots on Feb. 27,” King wrote.
He added: “We’re still awaiting decisions from two of the great play-by-play people of our lives, Al Michaels and Joe Buck, on their 2022 homes. But when you stream Amazon this fall to watch the Thursday night package, you’ll be hearing a new NFL voice, Kirk Herbstreit, interpret the games.”
Buck reportedly could leave Fox for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” coverage, per the New York Post. Meanwhile, Michaels is seen as the “leading contender” to join Amazon, Mike Rosenstein of NJ.com reported.
“However Michaels reportedly wanted Troy Aikman as his tag-team partner at Amazon,” Rosenstein reported, so Michaels could end up on “Monday Night Football” if Buck remains at Fox.
So there are two potential landing spots for Michaels, who will no longer call “Sunday Night Football” games.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 10:31 AM.
