Joe Buck Comes To Al Michaels' Defense: 'It Sucks' If NBC Didn't Inform Him About NFL Benching

Joe Buck is coming to the defense of his fellow broadcaster Al Michaels and thinks "it sucks" if NBC didn't properly notify Michaels that he wouldn't be calling this season's NFL playoffs.

Anyone who has watched Thursday Night Football's Amazon Prime Video broadcast this season has heard the 79-year-old Michaels have, at times, a rough go. Whether it's him not fully paying attention to the game, or a couple gaffes here and there, it hasn't been Michaels' best performance. But hey, neither have some of the awful games he's been tasked with trying to make exciting.

However, a few weeks ago news came down that Michaels would not be part of NBC's upcoming postseason playoff coverage which was apparently not discussed with Michaels. He reportedly found out he would be dropped during an interview with the New York Post's Andrew Marchand!

Yikes! This is a damn broadcast legend we're talking about here... Mr. 'Do You Believe In Miracles' himself! And now Joe Buck wants to know if NBC 'Believes In Decency.'

BUCK THINKS 'IT SUCKS' THAT MICHAELS IS OUT

“How was he told that he was not doing this playoff game?!” Buck asked while appearing on Marchand's podcast yesterday.

“If you tell me he’s known forever and this is the deal that he signed, that’s one thing. But to find out publicly, and you’re Al Michaels? And I’m happy for Noah Eagle. This has nothing to do with Noah Eagle. Ian Eagle I think is phenomenal. Noah’s great and an up-and-coming star in this business. Take them out of it. How was he alerted to this? Was this in his deal? Did he know beforehand? Did he find out through social media or through you, Marchand? And if the answer is he found out through you or through social media, then I think that sucks," Buck continued.

Al Michaels will not be calling the NFL playoffs this postseason. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

MICHAELS FOUND OUT FROM A REPORTER, NOT HIS BOSSES

Did NBC have to drop Michaels ahead of the playoffs? Of course not. If anything, I've previously argued that it's a ballsy move to take away such a familiar voice before games. Humans (and sports fans) are creatures of comfort, they don't like change. And hearing Michaels for the past 40+ years on broadcasts has made him 'part of the family' if you will. Hell, he can't be as bad as Jason Garrett is, that's for sure.

Michaels left NBC's 'Sunday Night Football' in 2022 to do Prime's Thursday Night Football broadcast with Kirk Herbstreit but was still supposed to call the NBC playoffs games - or so he thought.

“It’s in my deal,” Michaels said. “Where are you hearing that from? That’s part of my deal. Are you hearing something that I’m not hearing?" Michaels asked Marchand after he brought up his demotion.

As for Michaels, it looks like he'll be on the golf course for the playoffs rather than the broadcast booth. He does plan on returning to Amazon next year to work the final year of his contract.

The good news? At least he won't have to call any Chiefs games with Swifties coming at him.