Mike Tirico will miss Sunday night’s Bears-Buccaneers game at Soldier Field after announcing a last-minute absence due to a health issue, Deadline reported.
“Unfortunately, I will have to miss tonight’s game in Chicago due to a health issue,” Tirico said in a statement shared by NBC. “I look forward to watching tonight and can’t wait to be back with Cris, Melissa and the rest of our SNF team next Sunday night in Cincinnati.”
NBC confirmed that Noah Eagle will step in as play-by-play announcer for the Bears-Buccaneers broadcast, joining Cris Collingsworth and sideline reporter Melissa Stark, according to hitc.com and nbcchicago.com. Eagle has been with NBC since 2023, calling NFL, college football and NBA games; his father, Ian Eagle, is a veteran broadcaster at CBS.
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The Chicago absence follows another abrupt departure: in May 2025, Tirico left NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage due to what the network described as a “significant reaction” caused by his nut allergy. No outlet has said whether the two incidents are connected.
Tirico said he expects to be back for Sunday Night Football in Cincinnati. Kickoff at Soldier Field is set for 8:20 p.m. nbcchicago.com lists the kickoff at 7:20 p.m. local Chicago time. Tirico joined NBC in 2016 after 25 years at ESPN and became the full-time voice of Sunday Night Football after taking over from Al Michaels — hitc.com dates the move to 2022, while nbcchicago.com puts the full-time start in 2023.
When will Mike Tirico return to the booth? He said he plans to be back next Sunday night in Cincinnati for the Steelers-Bengals game.
Who is calling Sunday’s game instead? Noah Eagle, who has worked for NBC since 2023 across the NFL, college football and the NBA.
Has Tirico missed broadcasts before? Yes — he left NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage in May 2025 because of a “significant reaction” tied to his nut allergy.
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