Report: Cris Collinsworth, NBC Discussing New Contract in Range of $12.5M Annually

NBC Sports and Cris Collinsworth are discussing a new contract that would pay him around $12.5 million annually, according to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand.

Collinsworth replaced John Madden on NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast in August 2009. Marchand reported the ongoing negotiations over an extension are centered around keeping him in the fold until at least 2025.

The 62-year-old has made himself a fixture on Sunday nights, and his slide into frame at the start of a SNF broadcast has taken on a life of its own.

But Collinsworth's long-term future has been the subject of speculation over the past few years.

Marchand reported in April 2020 that NBC struck a deal with former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees with an eye toward positioning him as Collinsworth's replacement. Sports Business Journal's John Ourand followed up to play down the likelihood of that happening soon, reporting the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver "will not leave the Sunday Night Football booth for many more years."

If Brees was looking to succeed Collinsworth, then it looks like he'll have to wait a while.