Tony Dungy tells Sage Steele that NBC was unhappy with his pro-life views: "They knew where I stood"

Tony Dungy told Sage Steele he believes that his outspoken Christian faith and pro-life positions led to his departure from NBC after years as an analyst.

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Legendary NFL head coach and football analyst Tony Dungy makes no apologies for being convicted of his religious beliefs.

Dungy spent many years as an analyst at NBC, sharing his insight after a 13-year NFL coaching career and a Super Bowl championship with the Indianapolis Colts. But strangely enough, despite his popularity and vast experience, Dungy and NBC parted ways in early 2026.

He told former ESPN personality Sage Steele that he's skeptical about why. In a recent lengthy interview on "The Sage Steele Show," Dungey explained what led him to leave and why he doesn't regret what he did.

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Steele brought up NBC, then said from the outside, it seems that "it depends on you talking more and more about your beliefs with faith and with pro-life."

Dungey didn't deny it, saying she feels she's not always appreciated for speaking out about her faith.

"There's a few things that, I guess especially on television, they want you to be careful of because they want to appeal to everybody. They want to have everybody's audience. They don't always appreciate you talking about your faith. But for me, I always do it. I try to do it. Respectfully, but people will know that I'm a Christian."

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And they weren't happy about me leaving, because ... their point is, 'Hey, we have an audience from all over the spectrum.' "We don't want to exclude anyone who just makes such a statement." And I said, “Well, I understand, but this is important to me. "I was asked to speak and because it was important to me, I did."

Steele interjected and said he was talking about it anyway, including posts on social media.

“They knew where I stood. I knew where they stood... There are things that I'm not trying to alienate the audience, but there are things that are important to me that I will talk about. If someone asks me a question about my faith and whether I am a Christian, I say no. I will not avoid it."

Tony Dungy on NBC Sports before the game between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 8, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

When Steele asked if he had considered walking back his public statements about his faith and being pro-life, Dungey again said no. "I said I have to do it the right way and I can't do it in a belligerent way."

Then he makes this important distinction: "You don't do that on 'Sunday Night Football,' either. I'm not going to use that platform as, 'Oh, by the way, don't talk about the game tonight.'

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Minutes later, Dungey admitted that he was "pretty sure" his time on the network was over for publicly sharing his religious views.

"I was pretty sure it was. There were things they didn't want me to talk about and we had a good understanding. They knew who I was when I got hired and you know that's it."

Even though Dungy knew it was coming, he didn't go so far as to say it was definitely why he was let go. When asked directly, he said, “I don't know. And it doesn't really matter."

Another "job" Dungy lost? He was removed from the Hall of Fame voting committee. When Steele raised the issue, possibly wondering if it was also relevant to his public comments, he said he was told it was completely irrelevant.

Rodney Harrison (left) and Tony Dungy talk on the field before the game between the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium on November 10, 2024. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

It's interesting how NBC seems to be handling Dungey's statements of faith, and how that relates to his views on abortion, with so many networks having little problem with pro-leftist views or left-wing issues.

Does anyone really believe that NBC would be in trouble if one of their football analysts showed up at the "No Kings" protest? Or a pro-choice march? Or did he talk about gun control? Of course not. Worrying about political issues only goes in one direction. Because corporate liberals see the right as divisive, and the left as sympathetic common sense.

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