Tirico is skipping the Bucs-Bears broadcast due to an undisclosed health issue, pushing back what would have been his 300th NFL game.
Mike Tirico will not call Sunday night's game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, with NBC Sports announcing the change on Sunday afternoon due to an undisclosed health issue. Noah Eagle, NBC's lead voice for college football, steps in to call the game alongside Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark.
Eagle had just called the biggest college matchup of the week, involving Miami, the night before picking up this assignment. The switch also means Tirico's 300th NFL game gets delayed by a week rather than happening on schedule.
Tirico addressed his absence directly. "Unfortunately, I will have to miss tonight's game in Chicago due to a health issue," he said in a statement. He added that he looks forward to watching the broadcast and expects to return to the booth with Collinsworth, Stark and the rest of the Sunday Night Football crew for next Sunday's game in Cincinnati.
No further details on the nature of the health issue were disclosed by NBC Sports or Tirico. The network's plan has Tirico back in his regular seat for the following week's matchup.