Overview
- Mike Tirico announced on Sunday that he would not call NBC’s Week 9 Sunday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears because of a health issue.
- Noah Eagle replaced Tirico on play-by-play for the telecast, joining Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark to preserve the primetime broadcast.
- Eagle’s short‑notice assignment was eased by his presence in the Midwest after calling Notre Dame vs. Miami the night before, allowing a quick travel to Chicago.
- Tirico’s planned 300th NFL broadcast was pushed back by one week, and he told NBC he expects to return for Week 10’s Pittsburgh Steelers–Cincinnati Bengals game on Nov. 15.
- NBC and Tirico gave only limited medical detail, and coverage noted the absence is being treated as temporary while underscoring Tirico’s prior, publicly reported health incidents and NBC’s reliance on ready backups like Eagle.