MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki To Swap Election Map For Playoff Picture On NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’

Steve Kornacki was a constant presence at MSNBC’s election map in the weeks leading up to Election Night—and then the days that followed—as he ran down every possible what-if path to the White House, Senate and other key races. Now, Kornacki will get a chance to run some entirely different what-ifs: who’s headed to the playoffs, and who might be destined for the Super Bowl?

NBC announced Thursday that Kornacki will appear on NBC’s Sunday Night Football ahead of the night’s matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. He’ll also return during halftime. “Steve captivated millions of viewers during election season and we’re excited that this Sunday he will turn his focus to playoff season,” said Sam Flood, executive producer of NBC Sports. “As we push to the playoffs, who better to spot the trends, make the call about division and conference races, and identify the toss-up games that can flip the standings than the man in the khakis.”

“I’ve been a fan of the game since I was a kid and SNF has been must-see-TV for me since it started back in ‘06,” said Kornacki in a statement released by the network. “Truly a thrill to get this chance, especially as the season reaches its most exciting point. I spent the last year using the Big Board to map out all of the various roads to 270 and I can’t wait to put it to use breaking down all of the paths to the playoffs.”

For the Sunday night gig, Kornacki will trade his usual MSNBC political team of Rachel Maddow and Brian Williams for NBC’s football crew, including Mike Tirico, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Chris Simms and Mike Florio.