Joe Theismann has a message for the NFL: don't forget where you came from.
The Hall of Fame quarterback, known for leading Washington to a Super Bowl title, is the latest voice to raise concerns about the league's aggressive move toward streaming. In an interview ahead of his annual appearance at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Theismann didn't hold back.
“They’ve drifted away from tradition,” Theismann said. “It used to be ABC, NBC, and CBS. Now we’re in a time and a place where the opportunity for the owners to make lots of money from different entities, from YouTube, from Amazon, from Peacock.”
For decades, NFL games were a staple on broadcast television — a shared experience that brought families together on Sunday afternoons. But as the league inks billion-dollar deals with streaming services, that communal feel is fading. Theismann's comments echo a similar warning from former NFL star Jason Kelce, who recently sounded the alarm about the Sunday tradition being under threat.
Theismann isn't entirely opposed to change. He sees both sides of the coin. “It gives you a chance to find the game that you want to watch now,” he noted. “You don’t have to read about it the next day. So, in one regard, it’s grown the NFL, and the other side of it, yeah, would we all like things to be a little bit like they used to be? Maybe. But I believe in the progressive as a progressive individual, but life is changing. You have to adapt and change with it.”
Still, the shift has been jarring for traditionalists. Games that once aired exclusively on CBS or Fox now pop up on Amazon Prime, Peacock, and even Netflix. This fragmentation has some fans and analysts worried about the long-term health of the sport. Even a former ESPN boss has warned that the NFL's streaming gamble could backfire big time.
Theismann recalled a simpler era when Sundays were sacred. “Sunday is something you would look forward to sitting down to because you really didn’t have an option,” he said. “Now you have options on Monday night, Thursday night, Wednesday night. God only knows, Tuesday night, Saturday evening.”
While the league's bottom line has never looked healthier — owners are cashing in on the streaming boom — Theismann worries that the soul of the game is being diluted. His critique adds to a growing chorus of voices questioning whether the NFL's digital pivot is worth the cost.
For now, Theismann remains a fan, even if a slightly wistful one. “I believe in the progressive,” he said. But his message is clear: progress shouldn't mean leaving tradition behind.
