NBC Makes Change Internet Will Love for Patriots-Seahawks Opener
NBC made some broadcast changes during the season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Sunday Night Football will undergo a small alteration in 2026. NBC has opted to discontinue Pro Football Focus' player ratings within player introductions and substituted them with the athletes' hometowns. This change was first showcased during the Patriots vs. Seahawks season opener on Wednesday. Rodger Sherman shared an illustration of the new graphics package on X. These grades have been a consistent feature on NBC’s broadcast for years, usually appearing adjacent to player names throughout the game.
Cris Collinsworth, the network's lead color analyst, previously owned the sports analytics firm from 2014-2026. Teamworks acquired the company earlier this year and will manage it under its own name and brand, while the consumer segment was spun off into an independent entity. Collinsworth remained involved as an advisor under the terms of the agreement, but it was insufficient for him to retain those statistics on screen during the network's most significant games of the regular season.
PFF grades have always been subject to debate, as demonstrated by CBS analyst J.J. Watt's scathing critique on The Pat McAfee Show last season. NBC has now distanced itself from that controversy, paving the way for potential modifications in the future.
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