Al Michaels believes he still has it

NFL fans might not be sold that Al Michaels still is what he was as a play-by-play voice, but the legendary broadcaster believes he has more left in the tank.

As Michaels gets set to call an excellent playoff matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears for Prime Video on Wild Card weekend, he joined Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo’s SiriusXM show to preview the game. And expectedly, Russo asked Michaels if he plans on continuing to call NFL games for Amazon next season.

At this point in Michaels’ Hall of Fame career, the 81-year-old broadcaster should just assume he’s going to get asked about his future during any interview. Michaels didn’t break any news when he answered Russo’s question, having already admitted he hopes to be back on Thursday Night Football next season. But Michaels did confirm he’s still operating at a level that satisfies him.

“I love what I do, I work with great people, the Amazon thing has worked out extremely well, we did 21 million people on Christmas night, who knows what we’re gonna do this week, it’s gonna be a big, big number,” Michaels said. “I always felt, I’ll go as long as I can or I’m wanted, but I have to be able to know that I can do the game at the level that satisfies me. If I feel not what I have been or the way I perceive myself to have been, that’ll be time to step away, I don’t feel that way right now.”

Deciding to step away can’t be easy for any announcer, especially if networks and companies are willing to pay you to continue calling games. You want to keep doing the job you love, but you want to make sure you’re still doing the job adequately.

Michaels cited Vin Scully and Chick Hearn both working into their mid and even late-80s. And it sounds like the 81-year-old Michaels hopes to do the same.

“As long as I can feel like I can be at the top of my game, I hope to go on,” Michaels said.

There is still a large base of NFL fans who can appreciate and enjoy listening to Michaels call a primetime football game because of who he is, but few would agree that he remains at the top of his game. He’s still adequate, but it would be an insult to Michaels’ greatness to claim he was turning out performances every Thursday night this NFL season that were as good as the games he called 10 years ago.

Michaels had several notably bad moments this season. He struggled during a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers in October when he botched a goal line call and appeared confused by the ball advancing on a penalty. And when one of the best games of the season between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 was played on Thursday Night Football, Michaels didn’t meet the moment.

He is still a capable announcer. He has good moments and solid games, but the bad moments and mistakes are ones Michaels wasn’t making a few years ago. That’s not to say he should be forced into retirement. If Michaels wants to keep working and Prime Video wants to have him, then keep going. But if Michaels gets to keep going, it’s because of what he was as an announcer, not what he is.