Al Michaels facing calls to retire after error seconds into TNF broadcast

Sahil Kurup Fri, September 25, 2026 at 12:17 PM UTC

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Al Michaels has faced criticism during his time with Amazon Prime Video (Image: Getty)

Al Michaels faced immediate backlash from viewers mere minutes into Thursday night's Falcons-Packers game on Prime Video, as fans rapidly pointed out several on-air mistakes and publicly questioned whether the legendary broadcaster should continue calling games.

The errors accumulated quickly during Atlanta's opening possession, Michael Penix Jr. 's first action since suffering an ACL tear in Week 11 last season. It comes as Tom Brady WAS embarrassed live on FOX Sports by technical issues, while Donald Trump was blamed for a New York Giants star's injury.

Michaels mistakenly claimed that Penix played at Oregon, when the Falcons quarterback actually competed collegiately at Washington. In the same game, furious NFL fans claimed the game is 'rigged' after an obvious call went unanswered.

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Shortly afterward, running back Bijan Robinson was called "Brian Robinson" during the broadcast. This confusion immediately grabbed fans' attention, considering Robinson's role as the unquestioned centerpiece of Atlanta's offense heading into the evening.

This follows Michaels taking another jab at Donald Trump last week, reports The Mirror US.

Al Michaels has been broadcasting for over 55 years (Image: Getty)

Michaels also seemed to misname wide receiver Bryan Cissé at another moment during the possession, and incorrectly stated Atlanta's field position, indicating the Falcons were at the Green Bay 49-yard line when they remained on their own 49.

The succession of mistakes prompted immediate online response. "Been 1 minute and Al Michaels said Penix went to Oregon, called Bijan (Brian) and called Cissé Brian lol," one viewer posted. Another fan conveyed mixed feelings of admiration and worry. "I love Al Michaels, but he is shot in the booth."

Others didn't mince words. "Al Michaels needs help. He's been wrong so many times so far," one viewer commented, while another stated, "Al Michaels needs to hang it up man haha. He doesn't even try to pronounce anything correctly."

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Al Michaels officially joined Amazon in March 2022 (Image: Getty)

The backlash arrives within a wider trend of criticism Michaels has encountered during his time calling Thursday Night Football for Amazon Prime Video since 2022, with audiences previously highlighting what they've characterized as diminished enthusiasm and precision throughout games.

Michaels, among the most distinguished play-by-play announcers in American sports broadcasting history, continues as part of the NFL's national broadcast lineup despite the ongoing criticism.

Michael's on-air errors occurred during a dynamic opening period on the field. Green Bay scored initially when Jordan Love completed a nine-play, 82-yard possession with a touchdown connection to Christian Watson, his fourth of the season, matching him with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the NFL lead.

Penix, making his highly anticipated comeback, began tentatively, completing just 2-for-7 for 22 yards with an interception and an intentional grounding violation during the opening quarter.

However, Bijan Robinson virtually carried Atlanta back into contention, exploding for a 55-yard rush, the third-longest of his career, to establish his own 3-yard touchdown two plays afterward and even the score at 7-7 following one quarter. Robinson accounted for 90 of Atlanta's 110 total yards in the opening quarter, carrying an offense that was otherwise performing poorly with its returning quarterback under center.

Given the Falcons already possessed the league's worst minus-7 turnover differential heading into tonight's matchup, Atlanta's capacity to rely on Robinson while Penix shakes off the rust may be crucial as both the game and Michaels' uncertain performance in the broadcast booth progress.

It comes after recent calls from NFL fans urging Bradshaw to step away from broadcasting.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”