Bob Costas left out of NBC’s Super Bowl coverage

NEW YORK — Bob Costas won’t be working the Super Bowl for NBC next month.

The longtime broadcaster was not included in the network’s lineup for the NFL title game telecast from Minneapolis on Feb. 4, leading to speculation that Costas’ comments about head injuries in football might have affected the decision.

Dan Patrick and Liam McHugh will host the broadcast.

An NBC Sports spokesperson said: “Dan and Liam have served as hosts for our NFL pregame/studio shows on Sunday nights and Thursday nights, respectively, throughout the season and will continue on Super Bowl Sunday.”

Costas said: “Dan and Liam have done the job hosting NBC’s NFL coverage all season. It wouldn’t be right for me to parachute in and do the Super Bowl.”

When he stepped down as host of the Olympics last February, Costas was expected to keep his Super Bowl duties because Mike Tirico, his Olympic replacement, would be in South Korea.

Costas hosted NBC’s Super Bowl pregame coverage in 1986, 1989, 1993, 2009, 2012 and 2015.

During an appearance at the University of Maryland in November, he said of football: “the reality is that this game destroys people’s brains.”