Who are the NBC NFL halftime commentators that we see every Sunday night? Let’s take a closer look at the full crew that makes up the panel each week.
With the offseason changes that took place around the NFL broadcasting channels, noticeably with YouTube TV taking over NFL Sunday Ticket last season, there’s been a shakeup across a few networks. But on “Football Night in America” for the 2024 season, things remain largely the same from last year.
Who Are the NBC NFL Halftime Commentators in 2024?
Maria Taylor replaced Mike Tirico as the host in 2022, which will be the case again in 2024. She will be joined by Tony Dungy, who returns for his 15th season, and Jason Garrett, who is going into his third year in the role.
They will also have the likes of Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and Steve Kornacki providing analysis. Jac Collinsworth and Rodney Harrison provide additional on-site coverage when the main crew is in the studio.
The crew provides halftime coverage when Tirico and Cris Collinsworth are in the booth together, and the team works collaboratively when needed.
If Collinsworth is not in the booth, Dungy has stepped up to provide the color commentary in recent years. Now that this crew is in place for a third season, let’s take a closer look at the NBC NFL halftime commentators.
Maria Taylor | NBC NFL Halftime Host
One of 2021’s “Most Powerful Women in Sports,” according to Adweek, Taylor assumes Tirico’s mantle for a second year as she continues to build upon her impressive career. Taylor joined the NBC crew in 2021 after she began her broadcasting career at the University of Georgia before joining ESPN in 2013.
Taylor then went on to join the SEC Network in 2014 before joining College GameDay as a reporter and host in 2017. She has filled several roles for ESPN, covering several different sports.
Taylor left ESPN after the 2021 NBA Finals, and then her on-air debut with NBC came as a reporter for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Taylor also served as the host for NBC’s men’s and women’s semifinals and finals coverage of the 2022 French Open during her time in sports media.
Jason Garrett | NBC NFL Halftime Analyst
Garrett came to NBC following Drew Brees’ one-year stint on the show. The former Dallas Cowboys backup QB and head coach joined Dungy as an analyst after a rough stint as the New York Giants offensive coordinator.
Garrett backed up Troy Aikman from 1993-1999 and was a part of the 1993 and 1995 Super Bowl victories. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would bring Garrett back in 2007 as an offensive coordinator until he eventually became the interim head coach in 2010. He coached in Dallas until 2019, leading Dallas to the postseason three times.
While considered new to the broadcasting scene, Garrett has racked up quite a few gigs so far. Along with Football Night in America, he was featured as an analyst for the USFL and joins fellow NBC analyst Jac Collinsworth on Notre Dame Football on NBC and most recently did the call for the Notre Dame and Navy game in Ireland.
Devin McCourty | NBC NFL Halftime Analyst
A field-to-booth transition as smooth as James Bond, Devin McCourty joined NBC after retiring in 2022. McCourty played for 13 seasons in the NFL, all of them with the New England Patriots. New England selected him No. 27 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He earned two Pro Bowl selections and won three Super Bowls in his time with the Patriots.
In addition to his work with NBC, he co-hosts a podcast with his twin brother, Jason: Double Coverage with the McCourty Twins. Interesting side note: They jointly delivered the commencement address at their alma mater — Rutgers University — in 2019.
Tony Dungy | Studio Analyst
Dungy spent three years in the NFL as a player, two with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one with the San Francisco 49ers. He played defensive back for most of the time but also threw eight passes in 1977 for the Steelers as the emergency QB.
In fact, Dungy is the most recent NFL player to intercept a pass and throw an interception in the same game. He also won a Super Bowl in his time with the Steelers.
Dungy then spent 13 years as a head coach — six years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and seven with the Indianapolis Colts. He finished with a 139-69 record, leading his team to the playoffs in 11 of those 13 seasons.
In 2006, he coached the Colts to his only Super Bowl victory as a coach before retiring after the 2008 season. NBC then hired Dungy in 2009 to provide studio analysis and has filled in as the color commentator when required.
Mike Florio | NFL Insider
Having graduated from law school in 1991, Florio began his career as a sportswriter in 2000. He spent six months with ESPN before launching the site Profootballtalk.com.
In 2009, Pro Football Talk became an affiliate of NBC. After partnering with NBC, Florio began contributing to NBC Sports’ television coverage.
Chris Simms | Studio Analyst
After playing college football at Texas, the Buccaneers drafted Simms in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Simms would remain in the league until 2010 but would only start 23 games. He finished his NFL career with 3,117 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.
Simms joined the New England Patriots coaching staff in 2012 as an offensive assistant. He spent just one year as a coach before joining FOX for their college football coverage.
Simms has also worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL Analyst and provided color commentary for NFL on CBS. He joined NBC after the 2016 season and became a full-time employee at NBC in 2019. He is the son of CBS Studio Analyst and former NFL QB Phil Simms.
Steve Kornacki | Analytics
Kornacki is a political journalist, writer, and television host by trade. He’s been with NBC since 2012 and began working with NBC Sports breaking down playoff scenarios in December 2020. Kornacki’s also appeared on coverage of the Kentucky Derby and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Jac Collinsworth | On-Site Host
Jac Collinsworth is the son of NBC Color Analyst Cris Collinsworth. He played football at Notre Dame before joining ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. Later, he joined NBC, where he works on Football Night in America, hosts NBC’s Notre Dame coverage, and serves as play-by-play announcer for the USFL, NASCAR, and coverage for events such as the Indy 500 and Kentucky Derby.
Rodney Harrison | On-Site Analyst
After being selected in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft, Harrison played 15 years in the NFL as a defensive back. He finished his career with 34 interceptions and two Super Bowl rings. He became an analyst for NBC Sports following his retirement from football.