Cris Collinsworth Reveals Brutal Truth About His Relationship With Current NFL Players
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Cris Collinsworth sat down recently and shared a lighthearted observation about modern NFL stars. The longtime NBC analyst has spent decades calling the league’s biggest games. He still finds himself in production meetings with players who barely recognize his background.
The conversation quickly turned to how little today’s athletes know about previous generations.
Players Rarely Recognize Collinsworth’s Playing Credentials
Cris Collinsworth explained that current NFL players often have no idea about his career as a wide receiver. Dan Patrick asked whether athletes ever question his credentials when he critiques them on air. Collinsworth laughed and answered directly.
“Well, they all think I played quarterback somewhere, so they don’t know,” he said. “These guys, they don’t know. They don’t know. They don’t know Troy Aikman anymore, you know? I mean, come on. They don’t care. I mean, they really don’t. It’s so funny. I think they just kind of look at me like their dad or something up there, you know?”
Collinsworth played eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and earned three Pro Bowl nods. He has called more than 500 NFL games and multiple Super Bowls for NBC. Yet the generation gap shows up clearly in those weekly meetings. He added that he still enjoys the sessions because the players share unfiltered stories that rarely make it to air.
Additionally, Collinsworth has faced plenty of fan scrutiny this season. Viewers accused him of bias during a recent Sunday Night Football broadcast after he praised Patrick Mahomes on a near-interception.
Collinsworth Continues Drawing Strong Fan Reactions
The veteran broadcaster also addressed the constant criticism that follows national analysts. Fans have criticized him over his constant praise for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Collinsworth has heard the same question for years and treats it as part of the job.
He has already drawn heat early in the 2026 season. Some viewers ripped his performance after the Seahawks-Patriots opener and claimed they grew tired of his style before halftime. Collinsworth remains under contract with NBC through the 2029-30 season and continues to prepare as he always has.
The former Florida Gator still values those production-meeting conversations. Collinsworth clearly enjoys the access even when the players view him more as a father figure than a former peer.
