Kirk Herbstreit isn’t going anywhere just yet.
The longtime ESPN college football analyst has become an increasingly prominent voice in the NFL world since joining Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” coverage, and now his run with the streaming giant is set to continue.
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Amazon has re-signed Herbstreit to continue calling “Thursday Night Football.” Herbstreit has worked alongside legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels since Amazon took over the package in 2022.
There is, however, a fascinating wrinkle attached to the agreement.
Marchand reported that Herbstreit’s new deal gives Amazon flexibility to move on if one of the company’s premier broadcasting targets becomes available. One particularly notable name mentioned in the report is Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.
“NEWS: Amazon re-signs Kirk Herbstreit to call Thursday Night Football, but the deal contains outs for potential Sean McVay run, The Athletic has learned,” Marchand wrote Wednesday.
That makes this much more than a routine contract extension.
Kirk Herbstreit Remains One of Football’s Busiest Broadcasters
Herbstreit’s workload has become remarkable.
He remains one of the faces of ESPN’s college football coverage, appearing every Saturday on “College GameDay” before heading to the booth to call one of the biggest games on the college football schedule.
Then there is his NFL work.
Herbstreit joined Michaels when Amazon launched its exclusive “Thursday Night Football” package in 2022, creating a schedule that regularly requires him to analyze an NFL game Thursday night before immediately shifting his attention back to college football.
ESPN notes that Herbstreit called 38 games and worked 20 “College GameDay” shows across 38 cities during the 2025-26 football season.
Now, Amazon has made a move to keep him in place beyond his original agreement.
Herbstreit’s ESPN situation will also be worth watching. His current deal with the network reportedly expires following this season, creating another major career decision for one of the most recognizable personalities in sports television.
Sean McVay Creates Intriguing Twist To Herbstreit News
The McVay component makes Amazon’s reported agreement with Herbstreit particularly fascinating.
McVay has been linked to television opportunities before. Amazon reportedly pursued the Rams coach in 2022 after Los Angeles won Super Bowl LVI, but McVay ultimately elected to remain on the sideline.
Amazon then turned to Herbstreit.
Four years later, the network apparently hasn’t forgotten about McVay.
That doesn’t mean Herbstreit is suddenly on his way out. Quite the opposite: Amazon just made a significant commitment to keep him as part of its NFL coverage.
But the reported structure of the agreement suggests the network also wants flexibility if McVay eventually decides his coaching career is over and broadcasting is his next move.
For now, Herbstreit remains firmly planted in one of the most demanding jobs in sports media: analyzing the NFL on Thursday nights and then quickly turning his attention toward another massive college football weekend.
And after Amazon’s latest move, that hectic football schedule isn’t ending anytime soon.
