FOX Sports longtime lead NFL announcing duo of Joe Buck (left) and Troy Aikman (right), announcing a Thursday Night Football game. Photo courtesy of FOX Sports.
With the 2021 NFL season approaching us very fast, our friends over at FOX Sports has released their NFL announcing lineup for the upcoming season. The 2021 season will mark the 28th straight season that FOX has covered the NFL, since their inaugural season back in 1994.
FOX will again use several notable and familiar voices including Joe Buck, Kenny Albert and Chris Myers (all at play-by-play). Plus, FOX will bring in several new faces in the studio or covering games in the booth, like Greg Olsen (to be paired with Kevin Burkhardt), Charles Woodson (to be apart of the FOX NFL Kickoff pregame show) & Mark Sanchez (to be paired with Kevin Kugler).
Brad Zager, Executive Producer, Executive Vice President/Head of Production and Operations, of FOX Sports made the official announcement of the 2021 NFL on FOX broadcasting teams/studio teams.
Joe Buck, a 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and Emmy award play-by-play commentator, returns to work the play-by-play on the lead secondary team alongside longtime colleague and analyst Troy Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame quarterback. Buck and Aikman, who currently represents the NFL's longest tenured-duo, will work/celebrate their 20th season together for the 2021 season. Buck and Aikman, who have been working together since 2002 in some form, are the second longest NFL's longest tenured-duo, only trailing Pat Summerall and John Madden (the former No. 1 crew at FOX prior to Buck and Aikman's appoint following the 2001 season), who worked together for 21 NFL seasons (1981 to 2001). In addition, Mike Pereira, former NFL Vice President of Officiating, will work alongside the Buck/Aikman crew, providing viewers with in-depth analysis of most notable calls in games each week. Joining Buck and Aikman is sideline reporter Erin Andrews, who is the first women exclusively honored with the Pat Summerall Award. In addition, Tom Rinaldi, a 17-time Emmy Award winner and a recent addition to FOX following his longtime stay at ESPN/ABC, joins the crew for ALL editions of America's Game of the Week. Kristina Pink will also join Buck, Aikman and Andrews for reporting duties for ALL Thursday Night Football presented by Bud Light games. Buck, Aikman, Mike Pereira, Andrews and Rinaldi will open their season on Sunday, Sept. 12 with the first America's Game of the Week broadcast of the season as the Packers visit the Saints at 4:25 PM ET.
Veteran FOX Sports play-by-play announcer and studio host Kevin Burkhardt is accompanied by newcomer in analyst Greg Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowler in the booth. Pam Oliver, who holds the distinction of being the NFL's longest tenured SLR, is back for her 27th season and will hold reporting duties for the Burkhardt/Olsen crew. Burkhardt, Olsen, and Oliver are slated to begin their season on Sunday, Sept. 12 as the Eagles visit the Falcons at 1:00 PM ET.
Adam Amin, a rising sportscaster who joined FOX in 2020 and does play-by-play for baseball, basketball and football, returns to the NFL on FOX booth this season. Amin's partner will again be Mark Schlereth, a three-time Super Bowl Champion. On the sidelines with the Amin/Schlereth crew will be Shannon Spake. The first assignment for the Amin/Schlereth/Spake team will be the Week 1 Broncos vs. Giants on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 4:25 PM ET.
Experienced play-by-play commentator Kenny Albert, who has been with FOX Sports since the sports department's debut in 1994, is back for his 28th season of NFL play-by-play. For the second straight season, Jonathan Vilma, a Super Bowl champion with the Saints, will be Albert's partner in the booth. Sara Walsh and Lindsay Czarniak will split the reporting responsibilities for the Albert/Vilma crew. Albert and Vilma began their second season together with the Seahawks at Colts game on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1:00 PM ET. Sara Walsh will join Albert/Vilma for the Seahawks-Colts broadcast.
Chris Myers, who returns for his 19th consecutive NFL on FOX season as a sideline reporter and/or play-by-play commentator, is reunited with three-time Super Bowl champion Daryl "Moose" Johnston this season. Jennifer Hale, a longtime FOX Sports personality, both nationally and with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans (prior to the RSN renaming itself to Bally Sports New Orleans), returns to report from the sidelines. Myers, Johnston and Hale start their 2021 schedule of assignments on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1:00 PM ET when Justin Jefferson and the Vikings travel to Cincinnati to play Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals.
Kevin Kugler, who joined the NFL on FOX roster in 2020, is back for his second full season of having the play-by-play duties for his broadcast team. Joining Kugler is FOX Sports newcomer Mark Sanchez, a former studio analyst at ESPN, who is calling NFL games for the very first time. Laura Okmin will be the sideline reporter with the Kugler/Sanchez broadcast team. Their first game will be the Week 1 49ers vs. Lions contest on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1:00 PM ET.
Acclaimed and well-respected FOX Sports play-by-play commentator Gus Johnson (best known for being FOX's lead CFB/CBB voice) returns to calling NFL games with select broadcasts this season with analyst Aqib Talib, who returns to FOX following his debut calling two games this season and reporter Megan Olivi. They will make their season debut with the Week 2 Vikings vs. Cardinals telecast on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 4:05 PM ET.
Additionally, NFL on FOX rules analyst and former NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino joins various NFL on FOX crews throughout the season to provide his input on important calls that impact a particular game of question. Joe Davis and Brandon Gaudin will also contribute to the NFL on FOX this season with play-by-play.
Studio Coverage
Prior to each Sunday's slate of NFL on FOX games, the proud folks at the FOX Sports Studios in Los Angeles, Calif. will kick off your football day with two hours of pregame coverage. FOX NFL Sunday, the most-watched pregame show in America for the last 27 NFL seasons, makes its season debut with a special preseason edition, on Thursday, Aug. 5, at 7:00 PM ET on FOX. Curt Menefee will once again host with four-time Super Bowl Champion and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw. In addition to Menefee and Bradshaw, analysts Michael Strahan, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson all return to the desk. FOX NFL Sunday is the only pregame show to compose itself of solely Hall of Fame analysts. Jay Glazer, a longtime NFL on FOX personality, reprises his role as FOX NFL's insider, providing up-to-the-minute reports from the league.
FOX NFL Kickoff, FOX's pre-pregame show for the NFL, returns on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11:00 AM ET on FOX. Charissa Thompson is once again the host alongside 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson, four-time Pro Bowler Michael Vick, veteran analyst/reporter Peter Schrager, media personality Colin Cowherd and Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt. Cooper Manning, brother of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, returns to provide segments throughout the season.
2021 NFL on FOX Announcers
Game Crews:
1. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi (AGOTW), Kristina Pink (TNF)
2. Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver
3. Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Shannon Spake
4. Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Sara Walsh or Lindsay Czarniak
5. Chris Myers, Daryl "Moose" Johnston, Jennifer Hale
6. Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin
7. Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib, Megan Olivi
Additional play-by-play: Joe Davis, Brandon Gaudin
Additional analysts: TBD
Additional sideline reporters: TBD
Studio Crews:
FOX NFL Kickoff
. Charissa Thompson, host
. Colin Cowherd, analyst
. Dave Wannstedt, analyst
. Michael Vick, analyst
. Charles Woodson, analyst
. Peter Scharger, insider
. Cooper Manning, contributor
FOX NFL Sunday
. Curt Menefee, host
. Terry Bradshaw, analyst and co-host
. Michael Strahan, analyst
. Howie Long, analyst
. Jimmy Johnson, analyst
. Jay Glazer, insidier
Mandatory Credit: FOX Sports.
