Al Michaels Pulled From ‘SNF’ Broadcast After Not Clearing COVID-19 Protocols

NBC Sports’ “Sunday Night Football” broadcast will sound a little different in Week 15.

Al Michaels will be sidelined for Sunday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, according to a press release. Michaels did not clear the NBCUniversal COVID-19 safety protocols.

Mike Tirico instead will handle play-by-play duties alongside Chris Collinsworth. Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay will serve in their usual roles as sideline reporter and rules analyst, respectively.

“I feel great, I have no symptoms, and my temperature this morning was 97.5,” Michaels said Friday in a statement. “I look forward to returning to the booth as soon as possible.”

Tirico had been scheduled to call Saturday night’s game between the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, but Joe Davis now will be behind the microphone for that contest, joined on the broadcast by Kurt Warner and Melissa Stark.

It’s been a wild NFL season, with the coronavirus pandemic creating week-to-week uncertainty. And clearly, the unpredictability isn’t limited to those suiting up on the gridiron.