Thanksgiving week delivers a rare two‑game primetime slate for NBC, and this year, the booth looks different for the holiday nightcap.
As the Cincinnati Bengals face the Baltimore Ravens, NBC’s longtime analyst Cris Collinsworth is off the broadcast under a longstanding holiday arrangement, prompting a change in the on‑air team for one of the most-watched nights of the NFL season. The network’s plan is set, the replacement is confirmed, and Collinsworth’s return date is already on the calendar.
Why Was Cris Collinsworth Taken Off the NFL Thanksgiving Broadcast
This is an annual holiday break baked into Collinsworth’s NBC schedule, not a benching. With NBC now carrying two primetime games during Thanksgiving week, Collinsworth typically works one and takes the other off.
For 2025, he chose to skip the Thanksgiving night Bengals-Ravens telecast and will work the following Sunday Night Football game. He has periodically taken Thanksgiving off since NBC added the holiday primetime game in 2012, though he did work it in 2023.
The arrangement aligns with standard practice across networks during the crowded holiday stretch, when top crews often avoid calling three games in eight days. Collinsworth recently marked a milestone of 500 games, underscoring his continued status as NBC’s lead analyst when he is on duty.
NBC’s Thanksgiving plan reflects broader industry patterns. Fox and CBS deploy their top crews on Thursday, with those teams often receiving a subsequent Sunday off if the network has a lighter slate.
NBC’s holiday approach similarly balances workload across the Thursday and Sunday windows. For viewers, the bottom line is straightforward. A confirmed analyst is filling the chair for Thanksgiving, and Collinsworth resumes his regular role on Sunday.
Who Will Replace Chris Collinsworth?
Jason Garrett will step in as analyst for the Bengals‑Ravens Thanksgiving broadcast alongside play‑by‑play voice Mike Tirico. Garrett has been NBC’s go‑to substitute on Collinsworth’s previous holiday absences, joining a list of past replacement analysts that has included Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, and Drew Brees.
Melissa Stark remains on the sideline for the telecast, completing the Thanksgiving crew. The assignment keeps NBC’s production familiar even with a change in the booth, and it lands during a high‑interest game as Cincinnati navigates quarterback health and Baltimore pushes for playoff seeding.
The rotation is by design. NBC confirmed Garrett’s role for the holiday and Collinsworth’s return for Sunday Night Football, ensuring continuity across the network’s two primetime windows in Week 13. The holiday night broadcast remains a primary audience draw, second only to the Super Bowl in some years, and NBC has historically managed Thanksgiving personnel with planned swaps rather than ad hoc changes.
For viewers settling in on Thursday night, the only difference is the voice breaking down route concepts and defensive adjustments. The rest of the NBC presentation, from production cadence to sideline reporting, remains consistent across the week.
Cris Collinsworth’s Thanksgiving absence is simply the scheduled holiday break he has taken at various points during NBC’s primetime era. The network’s announced plan has Jason Garrett in the booth for the Bengals-Ravens game, with Collinsworth back on the call for the weekend’s Sunday night game.