Why was Michael Irvin let go from NFL Network? All about former Cowboys WR's layoff after 20 years with the company

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin and the NFL Network are parting ways. Numerous reports have said that the Network will not renew Irvin's contract ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

In this article, we examine why the NFL Network fired one of its most visible analysts and what's next for Irvin.

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Michael Irvin departs after 20 years with the Network

Michael Irvin joined NFL Network as an analyst two decades ago and played a prominent role in the Sunday football pregame show, “GameDay Morning." Irvin enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys and brought this experience to the Network as an analyst.

However, the NFL Network seems to simply want to go in a new direction. They also announced that a flagship show, "NFL Total Access," will air its final show later this month.

Irvin's most trying period as an NFL Network employee was in 2023 when he was removed from the Network's 2023 Super Bowl coverage after he was accused of making inappropriate comments to a woman in a Phoenix hotel.

Irvin vehemently denied any wrongdoing and was later reinstated to the Network's programming.

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What's next for Michael Irvin?

Michael Irvin remains one of the most knowledgeable and charismatic voices on television, so he should stay in a major analyst role for a while.

In the meantime, Irvin will likely concentrate on his role as one of the co-hosts of the FS1 weekday morning debate show Undisputed alongside Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman, and Skip Bayless.

Irvin joined Undisputed after the departure of long-term co-host and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who left in 2023 after a series of heated arguments with Skip Bayless. Sharpe has since branched off to do his own thing with Club Shay Shay, Night Cap and ESPN's First Take.

The Skip Bayless-led Undisputed operates in a different format than when Shannon Sharpe was part of the broadcast. The first season without the Denver Broncos legend has been tasking, but slowly and steadily, the show is finding its groove.