Cris Collinsworth Marks 500th NFL Broadcast as Bucs Face Rams

In Inglewood, California, longtime NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth will reach a major milestone on Sunday as he calls his 500th game during the matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams. Collinsworth, who has been a color analyst for NBC‘s ‘Sunday Night Football’ for 17 seasons, is surprised by the milestone.

“That was just stunning to me,” Collinsworth said, noting he originally thought he had worked around 250 to 300 games. “Wow, how did that happen?”

Collinsworth has partnered with 13 different play-by-play announcers throughout his career, a journey that includes his longest collaboration with Al Michaels, with whom he broadcast 263 games. Michaels, now with Amazon Prime’s ‘Thursday Night Football’, praised Collinsworth’s ability to connect with the audience.

“He has humor and understands the game on a level that’s almost unparalleled,” Michaels said. “Cris has the ability to make it very accessible.”

Mike Tirico, who will join Collinsworth for his 96th game together, echoed similar sentiments. “He’s the smartest guy in most every room he’s in, and he never acts like it,” Tirico said.

Before his broadcasting career, Collinsworth played eight seasons as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, earning three Pro Bowl selections. Although he initially aimed to become a lawyer, his passion for football led him to the booth.

Collinsworth’s approach to broadcasting is guided by a simple principle: engaging with the audience. He often asks himself what would make viewers care about the game.

“It’s a great line, you know?” Collinsworth said. “All right, I got to give people a reason to care. And if I do, they’ll watch.”

As he reaches this milestone, Collinsworth looks forward to continuing his commitment to making football accessible and enjoyable for fans.