Credit: NFL on Fox
Charissa Thompson is expecting a reboot at Fox Sports.
The longtime host recently signed a contract extension to remain with Fox Sports, where she’ll continue anchoring Fox NFL Kickoff, the network’s lead-in to Fox NFL Sunday. Thompson also holds a key role with Amazon, serving as host of Thursday Night Football’s pre- and postgame coverage on Prime Video.
Her extension came after online rumors falsely claimed she’d been fired — speculation that Thompson was forced to quickly and publicly shut down. Instead, the outcome was what Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy described as a “lucrative” deal to keep her in the fold.
Thompson’s role on Fox NFL Kickoff remains intact, but the cast around her is changing.
She’ll be joined this season by Charles Woodson, Julian Edelman, and sometimes Colin Cowherd. However, Fox’s on-air credits still list Peter Schrager and Michael Vick, both of whom are no longer part of the network. Schrager left for ESPN, while Vick took over as head coach at Norfolk State.
The network has yet to announce a replacement for Jimmy Johnson, who officially retired from his studio role. Whether that opens the door for someone to move up remains to be seen.
But Thompson did insist that this fall’s version of Kickoff will have a new feel.
“For Fox, it’s a shakeup,” Thompson said on her Calm Down Podcast with Erin Andrews. “I’m curious because on the Kickoff show, well, because Peter Schrager went to ESPN, sadly, which makes me bummed because I love him. And Michael Vick went to go coach at Norfolk State, which obviously I’m happy for his opportunity there. So, it’s Jules and I and Charles Woodson. We’ll find out closer to the season how we want to structure and frame the show. It’s a new beginning.”
Call it a reshuffling, a new direction, or, as Thompson put it, “a rebirth.” Either way, Fox NFL Kickoff is entering a transitional phase, one that could either reinvigorate the pregame product or expose the cracks left behind by the departure of familiar faces. With Amazon dialed in and Fox resetting the board, Thompson suddenly finds herself in two very different stages of production. One’s hitting its stride. The other’s starting over.
And once again, she’ll be at the center of both.