This Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Cris Collinsworth will reach a major career milestone, calling his 500th NFL game as an analyst. He will join Mike Tirico in the booth for a high-stakes matchup between NFC first-place teams, as the 8-2 Los Angeles Rams host the 6-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Collinsworth’s debut came 35 years ago, on Sunday, September 9, 1990. He joined NBC play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan in the booth at Rich Stadium (now Highmark Stadium) for a matchup between two first-round quarterbacks. As hall of famer Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills defeated Jeff George and the Indianapolis Colts 26-10.
Over the past three and a half decades, Collinsworth has built a remarkable broadcasting career. He has called games at 52 NFL stadiums and partnered with 13 play-by-play announcers. Collinsworth also appeared on four television networks and two streaming platforms. He even spent time as a sideline reporter for one game.
Beyond live game analysis, Collinsworth has been a fixture in NFL studio coverage. His resume includes Inside the NFL on HBO and Showtime (1989-2013), The NFL on NBC (1996-97), Fox NFL Sunday (1998-2001), NBC’s Football Night in America (2006-08), and NFL Network’s NFL 100: All-Time Team (2019).
He has also contributed to NBC’s coverage of four Olympic Games. During the 1992-94 seasons, Collinsworth served as a game analyst for Notre Dame football. His college football work also includes the 1994 Fiesta Bowl and the 1995 Orange Bowl..
His accomplishments have earned him 17 individual Sports Emmy Awards. Including nine for outstanding event analyst and eight for outstanding studio analyst. In 2023, he was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, recognizing his long-standing excellence in sports media.
Additionally, Collinsworth was in Canton, Ohio, in August 2017 when Sunday Night Football was honored with a Pro Football Hall of Fame display for its record run as primetime television’s top-rated show.
Before his broadcast career, Collinsworth starred as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1981 to 1988. He played in the Super Bowl in his rookie and final seasons, earning three Pro Bowl selections along the way. Over 107 games, he caught 417 passes for 6,698 yards, including four 1,000-yard seasons, and scored 36 touchdowns.
This Sunday, Collinsworth’s 500th broadcast will serve as both a celebration of his legendary career and a reminder of the enduring impact he has had on NFL television. From first-round quarterbacks to primetime showdowns, Collinsworth has been a defining voice in the game for more than three decades.
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