Veteran sportscaster Rich Eisen has confirmed he is ending his NFL play-by-play broadcasting career.
He made the announcement during a podcast appearance on July 2, 2026, following recent production shifts and corporate acquisitions within NFL Media.
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Eisen addressed his future with host Jimmy Traina, after years of balancing studio hosting and international game announcing.
When asked if calling extra games for NFL Network was still part of his role, Eisen gave a definitive answer.
"No, it is not," said Eisen, host of NFL GameDay Morning. He further clarified, "I believe I am.
Yes, I am," when asked if he was done calling games from the booth.
Eisen explained that play-by-play announcing conflicted with his decades-long habits in television and radio hosting.
"I enjoyed doing it a lot, but it's so counter to what I normally do," he said.
He noted that in his studio role, he instinctively fills dead air, while in the booth, the job is to stay silent after big moments.
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The broadcaster also highlighted the learning curve of watching the field from the booth. "When I first started, it was like seeing it through a straw.
By last year, I was seeing the whole field," he said.
Eisen's career shift comes after ESPN took control of NFL Network production decisions, following its acquisition of NFL Media earlier this year.
The restructuring led to the redistribution of the international game package and the end of the Monday Night Football doubleheader.
Additionally, broadcast opportunities decreased after YouTube exited NFL game broadcasts when the league split its five-game package with Netflix.
Eisen had called an exclusive YouTube broadcast last season with analyst Kurt Warner.
Despite stepping away from play-by-play, Eisen will continue hosting NFL GameDay Morning.
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He recently brought his daily show to ESPN Radio, marking a broader return to ESPN programming.
