Overview
- Michaels said Wednesday that the choice to stop calling Thursday Night Football will come from Amazon, from himself, or from both, and he praised Prime for how it has treated him.
- He is 81 and in his fifth season on Prime's TNF package, and he has been signed on year-to-year terms since his initial three-year deal ended after the 2024 season.
- Michaels and analyst Kirk Herbstreit are scheduled to call the remainder of Prime's 2026 TNF slate together this season.
- Public criticism of Michaels' recent broadcasts — including a widely panned 2023 Wild Card call and viewer complaints about the Oct. 8, 2026 Buccaneers-Cowboys telecast — is part of the backdrop for Prime's planning.
- Prime has extended Herbstreit on terms that give the streamer flexibility, reports say Prime is scouting successors including Ian Eagle, and the coming months will show whether Amazon actively pursues a replacement after the season.