“The Playmaker” has been benched at NFL Network.
Former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, who had been a fixture on GameDay Morning and with NFL Network since 2009, will not have his contract renewed, as first reported by the New York Post on Friday. The move is part of widespread changes at the network that have been going on for some time. Total Access, one of the network’s flagship shows, is also coming to an end, ending a run that began in 2003.
Irvin, 58, was taken off the air during Super Bowl Week coverage in 2023 after allegations of lewd behavior with a female employee of a Phoenix-area hotel. The Hall of Famer denied any wrongdoing in the case and filed his own defamation suit against the Marriott chain. After several months of legal wrangling behind the scenes, Irvin reached a settlement and returned to the network’s airwaves just in time for the start of the 2023 regular season.
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NFL Network has undergone several rounds of budget cuts and employee dismissals in recent months, with ESPN apparently in talks to take on an equity stake in the network. Good Morning Football recently shuttered its New Jersey studio and announced both a hiatus and a move to Los Angeles. Multiple high-profile personalities had also previously been let go, including Andrew Siciliano, Melissa Stark, and James Palmer.
“As is normal course of business this time of year, we are evaluating our talent roster for the upcoming 2024 season and beyond,” the network’s vice president of communications Alex Riethmiller told The Athletic. “That process results in renewals, non-renewals, and additions to our talent lineup depending on programming needs. To those departing talent, we give our sincere thanks and appreciation for their hard work and contributions to NFL Media.”
Irvin previously worked for ESPN and is currently still an employee at FS1. Irvin won three Super Bowls as part of the Dallas dynasty teams of the 1990s, is a member of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and is still very active with the organization.
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