Michele Tafoya called her last game for NBC in Super Bowl 56, with the longtime sideline reporter deciding to step away from the prestigious on-field gig to pursue a brand-new field that maybe some saw coming.
MORE: Why is Michele Tafoya leaving NBC?
Tafoya made headlines in 2021 when two appearances on “The View” led to much controversy, and later, speculation that comments made on the program led to a phantom suspension from NBC. They did not.
What is certain now, though, is that Tafoya is leaving sports entirely. Here’s what she’s doing next:
What’s next for Michele Tafoya?
The former NBC sideline reporter revealed in an interview with The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch that she’s moving on from sports reporting for a career in the political arena.
Tafoya is going to co-chair a campaign for Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls. She explained why she decided to make the move:
The news of Tafoya’s next career move isn’t too surprising: She sat in as the conservative pundit on her two episodes of “The View” in November.
A somewhat lengthy absence after those appearances led to speculation that NBC suspended her for views she shared. Network executives refuted the rumors, saying Tafoya was just taking some “bye weeks” that were already in place prior to the start of the 2021 season.
“Michele’s off weeks — which were determined prior to the season — were all in cold weather cities after Thanksgiving, and her final weekend off this season comes on Jan. 2 in Green Bay. Any other speculation about her time off is blatantly false,” NBC said in a statement at the time.
Tafoya made it clear to Deitsch that the network had nothing to do with her absence.
Tafoya, 57, has described herself as a libertarian in the past.
