Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms has become the latest casualty of NBC’s brutal makeover of its Sunday Night Football program.
The current offseason has seen a huge shake-up to the presenting lineup, with longtime fan favorite Tony Dungy and fantasy expert Matthew Berry both cut, and former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin drafted in as a high-profile replacement.
NBC is not done yet, though, with Simms becoming the latest big name to announce he won’t be back on the show… and it appears the decision was completely out of his hands.
‘I’m not on the show anymore,’ Simms – who is the son of Super Bowl-winning Giants quarterback Phil – said on PFT Live on Monday.
Speaking to Mike Florio, who is also a regular on the NBC show, he added: ‘I don’t know if anyone told you. I will not be a part of “Football Night In America”.
‘They told me that last week, so that’s going to be a different aspect. That hurt because I do love it.’
Chris Simms (center) has been culled from the line-up of NBC’s Football Night In America
Ex-Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is a high-profile addition to the NBC analyst roster in 2026
Simms had served as an analyst on the show since 2017, having worked for Fox, Bleacher Report and CBS prior to that.
It remains unclear exactly how the lineup for FNIA will look come the first week of the season in September, but The Athletic reports that both Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth are also ‘in question’.
Simms has multiple roles at NBC, also dabbling in college football coverage and hosting his own podcast, ‘Chris Simms Unbuttoned’.
As it stands, those roles do not appear to be affected and Simms will continue to be employed by the network.
In addition to a shake-up to the analyst lineup, it was announced over the weekend that FNIA would be traveling around the country in 2026 and shifting from its previous studio set-up in Connecticut.
Simms also presents a podcast on NBC alongside Mike Florio, where he revealed the news
Speaking about his new role, Tomlin told host Maria Taylor: ‘I just thought it’d be a great way to stay connected to the game and the awesome people in it.
‘Players, coaches, executives… and excited about doing that on Sunday night and traveling to different venues and getting that feel for the environment.
‘I love to talk football. And so that’s just an exciting component for me. I got to admit, though, there’s going to be some anxiety about stepping into a new space, but good anxiety.
‘It’s good to be uncomfortable, the growth associated with that. And so man, I’m fired up about it.’
