After missing the entire 2023 NFL season due to a back injury, veteran rules analyst Mike Pereira announced he is returning to Fox this weekend.
Last September, Pereira tweeted that he was on injured reserve after requiring back surgery. Pereira’s future at Fox had not been addressed since the injury announcement, other than it being known that he planned on returning eventually. That return will now come this weekend.
In a non-Friday news dump, the NFL’s former vice president of officiating and now long-time rules analyst for Fox Sports tweeted he will be working two UFL games for the network beginning Saturday, March 30 at 1pm ET.
I want to thank all of you who sent positive messages to me constantly including family and friends. You motivated me more than you know. I’m indebted to you all! I’m back!(like it or not)🤣
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) March 29, 2024
Second was I want to get back to work again. Well, I am walking a couple of miles a day and doing a lot of PT. And…I’m going back to work tomorrow doing two UFL games on Fox starting at 1pm Eastern. I’ve made it and will be back this fall doing college and NFL games.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) March 29, 2024
“I want to thank all of you who sent positive messages to me constantly including family and friends. You motivated me more than you know. I’m indebted to you all! I’m back!(like it or not)” Pereira tweeted alongside a laughing emoji.
“Second was I want to get back to work again,” Pereira continued. “Well, I am walking a couple of miles a day and doing a lot of PT. And…I’m going back to work tomorrow doing two UFL games on Fox starting at 1pm Eastern. I’ve made it and will be back this fall doing college and NFL games.”
Pereira retired from the NFL in 2009 and started with Fox as their rules analyst the following season, a role that has since been replicated by other leagues and networks. In his absence from Fox last season, the 73-year-old Mike Pereira was replaced by Dean Blandino in the network’s lead NFL booth. This season, Fox’s top NFL broadcast will have a new look with Tom Brady entering the booth. It will be interesting to see whether Blandino or the returning Pereira will be the broadcast’s primary rules analyst.
