Tony Dungy breaks silence after receiving ‘disappointing news’

Tony Dungy Confirmed he will not return to NBC’s “Football Night in America” ​​next season.

“NBC informed me that I will not be returning to FNIA this fall, which gives me time to reflect and look forward,” the former NFL analyst said in a news release on Thursday, March 13. Post via. “This is disappointing news, but I want to thank my NBC family for making the past 17 years so special.”

Dungy, 70, has held the position for nearly two decades, first joining the program after retiring as the Indianapolis Colts head coach in 2009 and leading the Colts to the Super Bowl XLI championship just a few seasons later.

“I will have lasting memories of my time there, especially with Rodney Harrison, who has become a good friend of mine,” he added in the statement. “God always guides me in these moments, and while I’m not sure what the next step will be – whether it be in football, broadcasting or becoming more involved in church and community outreach – I know God has plans for my life and I can’t wait to see them unfold. I’m reminded of the Bible’s Romans 8:28 One of my favorite verses is, ‘God causes all things to work together for good to those who love the Lord.'”

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The Pro Football Hall of Famer became the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl with the 2006 championship. He began his head coaching career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996, where he stayed for six seasons. He later joined the Colts and coached there until his retirement in 2008. The following year, he joined NBC’s broadcast team.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach.

Prior to coaching, he played three seasons in the NFL, winning Super Bowl XIII with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978.

According to reports on February 25 Report from CompetitorDungy was fired as NBC planned to “revamp” its NFL pregame programming for the upcoming season. The changes reportedly include taking the show entirely on the road, rather than covering it separately with a studio crew.

Dungy was in the spotlight during Super Bowl week in February when he refused to reveal how he voted for the 2026 Hall of Fame class, specifically because Bill Belichick didn’t receive enough votes to be included in the list.

While voters are not required to make their votes public, Dungy is hesitant to do so, leading to speculation that he did not vote for his former rival Belichick.

“I’m not going to reveal that,” Dungy said during his Super Bowl pregame show. “When you join the committee, you swear an oath that you won’t discuss any of the debates, anything that happens there. I’m not going to make any of my teammates upset because of who they voted for, or who I voted for.”