Al Michaels addresses broadcasting future amid uncertainty, criticisms

Al Michaels turns 80 this November. He is in the final season of his Amazon Prime Video "Thursday Night Football" contract and has been accused by some across the past few NFL campaigns of losing his fastball.

In a pair of interviews shared before Thursday's prime-time matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, Michaels suggested he isn't thinking beyond his scheduled NFL assignments.

"I am living right now, Jimmy, in the present," Michaels recently told Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina . "I'm not living in the past. I'm not thinking that much about the future. I want to go week-to-week and just enjoy what I'm doing, and savor it, and relish it. That's where I am. My mindset is in the moment. So, as we go along down the road, I’ll know how I feel. I’ll know how they feel."

Michaels raised eyebrows in January 2023 when he likened having to call bad "Thursday Night Football" games to selling "a 20-year-old Mazda." The NFL seemingly responded to that comment by attempting to improve the quality of Thursday schedules over the past couple of seasons. Still, such changes didn't prevent Michaels from receiving numerous criticisms and complaints last fall regarding his commentary style and alleged lack of enthusiasm.

While Michaels told Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post he has " made no decision in terms of what will happen in the future," the broadcasting legend indicated he's happier than ever with the "TNF" slate of games.

"Last year was considerably better, and this year is even better than that — by far the best of all, and I think a lot of it has to do with where the business is right now. Streaming is more and more important," Michaels added.

Kirk Herbstreit, Michaels' "TNF" partner, reportedly has three years remaining on his Amazon deal. It's unclear who could replace Michaels as soon as next September, but he hinted he won't be kicking off any type of retirement tour when the Dolphins host the Bills.

"My feeling is, if I can live up to the standard I expect from myself, then I’ll want to continue," Michaels told Glasspiegel. "If I can’t, then I’ll have to think about it another way. I don’t want to go out, as Howard Cosell used to say, 'a shadow of your former self.'"

Critics feel Michaels is already that "shadow," but he'll look to silence such takes during what he hopes will be exciting Thursday night contests.