Kirk Herbstreit claims he’s oblivious to American politics. He’s also not up to speed on corporate politics.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Amazon Prime Video and Herbstreit have agreed to an extension that would keep him in the Thursday Night Football booth beyond the 2026 season. But there’s a catch.
A big one.
Per Marchand, Amazon has retained the ability to cut the cord with Herbstreit in the event that it can land someone else.
Basically, Herbstreit has become Amazon’s bird in the hand. He’s the leverage for the contract talks with whomever Amazon will target for the seat.
Amazon wanted Rams coach Sean McVay in early 2022. McVay, whose team had just won the Super Bowl, opted not to walk off into the sunset with a brand-new Lombardi Trophy for a $20 million per year TV gig. After a disappointing 2022 season, McVay’s position changed — but it was too late. The seat was filled by Herbstreit.
This new deal apparently allows Amazon to take a year-to-year approach with Herbstreit. Prime Video can pursue McVay or Travis Kelce or Troy Aikman or Greg Olsen or anyone else whose attention isn’t divided between pro and college football.
Then again, there’s a chance Herbstreit will be all-in with the NFL come 2027. He’s in the final year of his ESPN contract, too. Per Marchand, ESPN plans to wait to address Herbstreit’s situation after college football season ends.
So, basically, the guy with a full-time college job and a full-time NFL job could end up with both, one, or none by 2027. If nothing else, a reduction in his workload would give him more time to understand why folks would be inclined to boo Ted Cruz.