Viewers tuning into Sunday Night Football were expecting another routine pregame breakdown. Instead, they watched a moment that left millions uneasy as former NFL star and NBC analyst Rodney Harrison abruptly froze during a live segment, prompting widespread concern about his health.
The 52-year-old former Patriots and Chargers safety was on set for NBC’s coverage of the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders matchup at Northwest Stadium. Harrison began the broadcast normally, but when fellow analysts turned to him for thoughts on how Denver should attack Washington’s defense, something seemed off.
“The best way to attack them… There’s a lot of stuff going on, I’m sorry. They don’t have a lot of discipline on the defensive side of the ball.” He paused, stared ahead, and asked for the question to be repeated.
As the moment stretched, Harrison appeared confused, stuttered through a partial response, and finally apologized, telling viewers, “I’m sorry guys.”
WATCH:
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: NBC analyst Rodney Harrison has gone viral with many fans concerned for his health after this awkward segment.
Praying this was just an audio error and Rodney is okay.
Just a terrifying and brutal watch 🙏 pic.twitter.com/D2EZ0uOzRm
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 1, 2025
Some viewers worried aloud that he could be experiencing a medical emergency. Others wondered whether something technical had gone wrong in the studio. Harrison eventually finished the segment, but the concern did not fade.
Online reaction was swift, with fans calling for NBC to check on him and questioning whether he should continue with the pregame show. By halftime, viewers were closely watching to see whether he appeared again on screen and whether he would seem more at ease.
Harrison addressed the on-air incident in a message sent to reporters, explaining that the long weekend of travel and little rest caught up with him. “I was exhausted working on a few hours of sleep watching my son play Saturday night. I had 3 hours of sleep on Sunday and had to work all day,” he said via text to Masslive, referring to son Christian’s game against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. “I was suffering from exhaustion. But I’m good.”
Harrison has been crisscrossing the country to watch both of his sons compete in Division I football, bouncing from the East Coast to the West Coast and back again in recent weeks. Christian Harrison is a safety at the University of Cincinnati, while R.J. lines up at cornerback for Wofford College. After Cincinnati’s loss to TCU on Saturday night, Harrison made the trip from Fort Worth to Washington to get into position for NBC’s Sunday night broadcast.
Harrison, a two-time Super Bowl champion with New England, has been a fixture on NBC’s Football Night in America since 2009. Throughout his playing career, he was known for his toughness and longevity, becoming the first defensive back in NFL history to record at least 30 sacks and 30 interceptions.
That long history made Sunday’s moment all the more jarring to fans familiar with his polished, confident presence on television.
