Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy explained that NBC Sports told him they wanted younger talent when he was cut from the network after 17 seasons on “Football Night In America” in March.
During an interview on “The Sage Steele Show,” Dungy, who turned 71 Tuesday, pulled back the curtain on his exit from NBC — and he explained that he won’t stop discussing his Christian faith while on-air.
“I kind of knew that was going to be the case [that changes were coming], but then they came to me and Rodney [Harrison] and said they wanted to get a little younger and change the voices, and they had appreciated what we had done,” Dungy said.
“But they were moving on and reshaping the show. So it was tough, but that has happened before in my football career and happened there. So you just have to think, okay, what does this mean? Where am I going to go? What’s going to be my path now?”
Dungy added that he wasn’t surprised by the changes — and felt like it was coming because of “things that had happened there.”
NBC added former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin this offseason and he is filling the role left behind by Dungy and Harrison.
NBC Sports’ “Football Night in America” features host Maria Taylor, analysts Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, along with Tomlin now.
Dungy, who was open about his Christian faith on television, explained that he will “always” discuss his beliefs in the public eye.
“There are some things that in TV especially, they want you to be careful because they want to attract everybody. They want to have an audience of everyone. They don’t always appreciate you speaking about your faith,” Dungy said.
“But for me, I’m always going to do that, and I’m going to try to do it in a respectful way. But people are going to know that I’m a Christian. So that part is never going to leave. I am pro-life, and I’m not gonna be ashamed to say that.”
Dungy confirmed his exit from “FNIA” in March.
“It’s disappointing news but I want to thank my NBC family for making the last 17 years so special,” he wrote in an X post at the time. “I’ll have lasting memories of my time there, especially with Rodney Harrison who has become a tremendous friend.
“God has always directed me in these moments and while I’m not sure what the next step will be for me — whether it will be in football, in broadcasting, or getting more involved in church and community outreach — I know God has plans for my life and I can’t wait see them unfold. And I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Bible-Romans 8:28. “God works all things for His good for those who love the Lord.”
Dungy joined NBC in 2009 after retiring from coaching. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
He spent three seasons in the NFL as a defensive back before becoming a 13-season coach from 1996-2008, leading the Buccaneers and Colts.
Dungy announced the launch of his own media brand called, Road to Sunday, on Sept. 9.
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