Al Michaels misnames Trevor Lawrence's draft year, fans call for retirement
The gist
Al Michaels said Trevor Lawrence was drafted No. 1 in 2001; Lawrence went No. 1 in 2021.
The 81-year-old's Amazon future is open, and viewers question his broadcast energy.
How it unfolded
- Dec 23, 2025AP reports Michaels is still going strong at 40 years of calling NFL games.
- Oct 30, 2026During the Green Bay Packers–Carolina Panthers game, Kirk Herbstreit playfully blamed Michaels for the NFL's analytics obsession; Michaels replied, "That I've created? Get out of town, clown." Green Bay won 27-19.
- Nov 4, 2026Yahoo Sports reports Amazon has stayed silent on Michaels' future; Michaels told Dan Patrick that Amazon has contacted him after each of the past two seasons about whether he intends to return.
Key terms
- play-by-play announcer
- Live running description of a sports game's action, typically delivered by a commentator on radio or television.
- Thursday Night Football
- Branding for broadcasts of National Football League games that air primarily on Thursday nights.
- analytics
- Collections of historical sports statistics used to inform decisions and gain a competitive advantage.
Source: Wikipedia