‘Sunday Night Football’ Fans React After Mike Tirico Is Sidelined With Health Issue

Longtime NBC Sports anchor Mike Tirico missed Sunday night’s NFL Week 9 broadcast between the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to an undisclosed health issue, the network announced.

Tirico, 59, released a statement confirming his last minute absence while reassuring viewers that he expects his sit-out to be brief.

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— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) November 8, 2026

“Unfortunately, I will have to miss tonight’s game in Chicago due to a health issue,” Tirico said in a statement issued through NBC Sports. “I look forward to watching tonight and can’t wait to be back with Chris, Melissa and the rest of our SNF team next Sunday night in Cincinnati.”

Fans were sad to hear about his absence from the broadcast despite it being a short one. One user commented on the statement shared on X: “NOOOOOOOO, we all love Mike Tirico. Hope he gets better soon. SNF doesn’t hit the same without him.” Another user wrote: “Best wishes to Mike Tirico, one of the most enjoyable people to listen to call games. Noah Eagle did great last night calling the Irish game so I’m sure he’ll do great tonight.”

Broadcaster Noah Eagle filled in for Tirico on play-by-play duty next to color commentator Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Melissa Stark.

While Tirico did not provide specifics on his current condition, the one game absense suggests the setback is not severe. Tirico has served as NBC’s lead Sunday Night Football play-by-play voice since replacing Al Michaels in 2022, continuing a career that began at ESPN before he made the jump to NBC in 2016.

Though Tirico isn’t known to suffer from chronic illness, he has navigated notable health scares in recent years. Back in May 2025, Tirico was forced to pull out of NBC’s coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after experiencing a medical emergency caused by his nut allergy.

During that incident, pre-race snacking accidentally exposed Tirico to nuts, triggering swelling in his throat and nose that required an EpiPen and immediate treatment from on-site EMTs. Leading broadcaster Ahmed Fareed stepped in at the last minute to anchor the Triple Crown event. Tirico also previously disclosed dealing with a torn Achilles while calling Sunday Night Football in November 2024.

Pending his recovery, Tirico is slated to make his return to the booth next weekend for the Week 10 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.