Absent Dale Earnhardt Jr Hints at NBC Reunion Amidst Confession of Giving Former Team “A Hard Time”

It was not long ago that Dale Earnhardt Jr. set the record straight on his NBC departure. After bringing his six-year association with the network to an end, Earnhardt Jr. squashed rumors of bad blood between him and the organization. Now, as he is embarking on a new broadcasting journey with Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery, Junior expressed his desire to work at NBC once again.

Earnhardt Jr. joined NBC Sports in 2018 after his retirement, a year earlier. His deal with the network was going to end in 2024, but there were no talks of a renewal and hence he decided to move on. But it looks like he hasn’t closed the door on a return down the road.

Unpacking the rumors of Dale Jr’s return to NBC

There were many speculations behind about Dale Jr.’s exit from NBC earlier this February. It was rumored NBC had asked him to provide commentary from a remote booth and that he was ‘scolded’. There were also unfounded rumors Earnhardt and the network often clashed behind the scenes over his preference to look out through the windows of the booth to call races rather than call the action from the TV monitors. However, Dale Jr. quickly dismissed these rumors.

In a tweet on March 5, he rubbished these allegations and said that “NBC was amazing,” while promising “that’s the truth.” Now, in a recent episode of ‘Dale Jr Download’, Junior praised their coverage while also clarifying the relationship he has with the network.

As NBC took over broadcasting duties from FOX, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and others returned to the booth. While Earnhardt. Jr was away, he made sure to check in with his former colleagues.

“NBC did a great job, just so good. Yeah, it was weird listening to the booth and not being there. I texted them and gave them a hard time. Told them they didn’t have any energy. Yeah, I missed it, man,” Dale Jr remarked.

Moreover, to everyone’s excitement, Dale Jr added, “They’re great guys, and there are zero frustrations or anything like that. I don’t want anybody to think that. And there’s some good chances that if I stay in broadcasting long-term, I may likely work with them again.”

For now, the two-time Daytona 500 winner is gearing up to join Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports as a commentator for both networks, staring in 2025. Apart from this, he will also be a contributor to a Bleacher Report content series around NASCAR. Thus, any plans to return to NBC may be far-fetched at the moment. Though NASCAR sharing his media rights deal with FOX, NBC, Amazon and TNT means there might be a feeble possibility of having Earnhardt Jr. on NBC again in the near future.

Although it might be hard to see him back on NBC anytime soon, his recent remarks have still managed to generate a buzz among fans. As soon as he made his remarks, fans shared their excitement on social media.

Fans React to Dale Jr’s comments about a future NBC return

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Fan reactions to Dale Jr’s hints of a return have been enthusiastic. One fan commented, “I really missed your ‘WE GOT A CRASH!!!’,” highlighting the unique energy Dale brought to the booth. During his six-year tenure at NBC, Dale Jr. gained quite a reputation for his insights as well as bringing in an energy level that the rest had to catch up to. Of course, those who followed NASCAR on NBC will recall getting used to listening to the words, “WE GOT A CRASH!!!” in his voice.

Another fan expressed, “It felt a little empty at times,” suggesting that while NBC did a great job, Dale’s presence was irreplaceable. There is no doubt that when it came to expertise on what was going on the track, there would have been hardly anyone better than Dale Jr. to talk about it.

With 26 Cup Series win and a career spanning nearly two decades, he brought all the experience to the commentary booth. Another user emphasized how well Dale understood the fans and catered to them, “It just wasn’t the same without you Dale Jr ! You brought the excitement and real fan emotions to the broadcast.”

Nevertheless, with Dale Jr’s words, many are hopeful of seeing him back in NBC one day. “Hopefully, someday you will be back” reflected the strong desire to see him return to NASCAR broadcasting.

While there is a clamor for Earnhardt Jr. to return to NBC, for now he will be keen to leave a lasting impression on the viewers who will tune in next season to Amazon Prime and TNT network.