NBC Sports Retains Cris Collinsworth as Lead Analyst Until 2029

Super Bowl Future with Cris Collinsworth

NBC Sports is working toward a deal that will keep Cris Collinsworth as its lead game analyst through the end of the decade, putting him in line to call two more Super Bowls, sources briefed on the discussions told The Athletic. When the agreement goes through, as expected, Collinsworth, 65, will be analyzing NBC’s Sunday Night Football prime time games with Mike Tirico through the 2029-2030 season.

Financial Aspects of the New Contract

Collinsworth currently makes around $12.5 million a year, according to sources briefed on his deal. The new contract is expected to be a four-year agreement. NBC declined to comment.

Successor Talks and NBC's Strategy

Collinsworth has proven to have staying power with his more than three decades in the booth. In 2021-22, when NBC brought in Drew Brees as its Notre Dame game analyst and for its NFL studio, Brees was looked upon as a potential heir apparent to Collinsworth. Instead, Brees flamed out after one year. NBC did go through with a succession plan in which Tirico replaced Al Michaels for the 2022-23 season.

NBC's Analyst Landscape

For NBC, retaining Collinsworth allows it to potentially keep the analyst it believes is still the best in the game at a possibly heavy price. Comparatively, Fox pays Tom Brady $37.5 million per year, while CBS and ESPN pay Tony Romo and Troy Aikman $18 million per season respectively. If NBC decided to make a change after its next Super Bowl in 2026, it could have looked at Fox Sports’ No. 2 Greg Olsen or coaches like Sean McVay or Mike Tomlin if they were to move away from the sidelines.