Amazon and Al Michaels Looking To Agree On Mega Deal for Thursday Night Football

After Amazon acquired the rights to exclusively broadcast the Thursday night slate of NFL regular season games, the new network began a search to find talent behind the mic who could call their games in 2022-2023. At the top of the list is current Sunday Night Football commentator Al Michaels, a respected voice in the league who would be a key in legitimizing Amazon's broadcasting relationship with the NFL.

According to the NY Post report, Amazon is looking to offer Michaels a huge contract to start calling games for TNF starting in 2022.

https://twitter.com/theMMQB/status/1400493888394117122?s=20

Most frequently seen and heard covering primetime SNF matchups on NBC, Michaels is approaching the end of his contract with the network and is ready to enter free agency. He is the current favorite among the field.

Early last year, reports surfaced that ESPN had been looking into bringing Al Michaels to call games for their Monday Night Football schedule after a carousel of commentators went in and out of the play-by-play booth.

Last year, Tony Romo signed a lucrative extension with CBS to do on-air coverage for the network at $17+ million per season. The 10-year, $100+ million Romo contract is the largest ever for an on-air commentator's extension, and Michaels may be next in line for a big pay day. Annual earnings for Michaels may reach an average of $10 million per season or more.

While the search is ongoing and includes other names such as Joe Buck and Ian Eagles—per the NY Post report—Michaels could lead the booth for Amazon on Thursdays and retain a reduced role with NBC in 2022.

At the age of 76, Al Michaels is keen on staying in the business well into his 80s. He may then deliver his final calls for the NFL in the Amazon booth, should a deal be confirmed.