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Sunday, January 4, 2026

Michael Irvin Resumes NFL Network Duties After Lengthy Suspension

  • NFL Network suspended Irvin after a hotel employee alleged misconduct against the Hall of Famer.
  • Irvin was back on the NFL Network set ahead of the opening Sunday of the season.
Michael Irvin
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports

Michael Irvin returned to the NFL Network set on Sunday as his indefinite suspension that began days before February’s Super Bowl was lifted. 

“Good to be back,” Irvin said on NFL Gameday Morning. 

Irvin suspended the NFL-owned outlet after a Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel employee accused the Hall of Fame receiver of harassment. Irvin settled the lawsuit he filed against Marriott, the Dallas Morning News reported on Sunday. 

Irvin denied the claims and sued the hotel chain for defamation of tortious interference. A judge ordered footage of the incident to be released to Irvin’s legal team. 

“This sickens me,” Irvin said at a news conference earlier this year. “This takes me back to a time where a white woman would accuse a Black man of something, and they’d drag him through the mud and hang him by a tree. … It just blows my mind that in 2023 we are still dragging and hanging brothers.”

As his status at NFL Network remained uncertain, Irvin was hired as a contributor on FS1’s “Undisputed,” and debuted earlier this month. 

Irvin’s lawyers made the footage of the Feb. 5 encounter in March, but the video lacked audio and didn’t exonerate Irvin. 

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper mandated both sides participate in mediation last month. 

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