Tony Dungy confirmed that he won’t be returning to NBC’s “Football Night in America” next season.
“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,” said the former NFL analyst in a Thursday, March 13, post via X. “It’s disappointing news but I want to thank my NBC family for making the last 17 years so special.”
Dungy, 70, has served nearly two decades in the role, first joining the program in 2009 after retiring as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and just a few seasons after leading the Colts to a Super Bowl XLI championship.
“I’ll have lasting memories of my time there, especially with Rodney Harrison who has become a tremendous friend,” he added in his statement. “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 see [sic] them unfold. And I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Bible-Romans 8:28. ‘God works all things for His good for those who love the Lord.’”
The Pro Football Hall of Famer became the first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl with that 2006 championship. He began his head coaching career in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and stayed there for six seasons. He later joined the Colts, where he coached until his retirement in 2008. The following year, he joined NBC’s broadcasting team.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach in 2016.
Prior to coaching, he played three seasons in the NFL, winning Super Bowl XIII with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978.
According to a February 25 report from The Athletic, NBC is planning to “revamp” its NFL pregame show for this upcoming season, which led to Dungy’s firing. The changes reportedly include taking the show fully on the road, rather than splitting coverage with an in-studio crew.
Dungy was at the center of attention during Super Bowl week this past February, declining to reveal how he voted for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which notably will not include Bill Belichick after he did not receive enough votes.
While voters are not required to disclose their votes, Dungy’s hesitance to do so led to speculation that he did not vote for his former rival, Belichick.
“I’m not going to disclose that,” Dungy said during the Super Bowl pregame show. “When you come on the committee, you take an oath that you’re not going to discuss any of the debates, anything that happened there. I’m not going to put any of my teammates under the bus who they voted for, who I voted for.”
