Cris Collinsworth Takes Traditional Holiday Break: Absence Explained from NBC Broadcast for NFL Week 12 Game!

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and the Sunday Night Football broadcast:

The NBC football production team, led by Mike Tirico, has had a hectic week handling two Week 12 games. However, for “Sunday Night Football,” Tirico’s usual broadcast partner, Cris Collinsworth, won’t be joining him in the booth.

As the Ravens square off against the Chargers in tonight’s prime-time matchup at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, it will be Jason Garrett stepping in as the NBC analyst alongside Tirico instead of Collinsworth.

Collinsworth recently worked alongside Tirico on Thanksgiving Day for NBC’s coverage of the 49ers-Seahawks game, witnessing San Francisco’s victory that secured their place at the top of the NFC West.

In tonight’s game, the AFC’s leading team, the Ravens, with an 8-3 record, faces the 4-6 Chargers, who are struggling in the 2023 season and currently sit outside the playoff picture in the AFC West.

However, the absence of Collinsworth in the booth for “Sunday Night Football” is due to the Thanksgiving weekend. After his commentary during the Thanksgiving Day game between the 49ers and Seahawks, Collinsworth has chosen to spend the remainder of the weekend with his family.

This isn’t the first time Collinsworth has taken a break from one of NBC’s Thanksgiving weekend games. Last year, he was also absent for the Thanksgiving matchup between the Vikings and the Patriots. On that occasion, Garrett and Tony Dungy stepped in as analysts alongside Tirico.

Collinsworth will return to the booth next Sunday night in Green Bay for Week 13’s game between the Packers and the Chiefs.