Ahead of NFL Week 1, Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin made a surprise return to his role with the NFL Network after seven months away following a suspension over allegations of inappropriate behavior while covering the Super Bowl earlier this year.
This has been a trying year for Dallas Cowboys great Michael Irvin. After building a career as one of the more popular talents on the media side of the NFL, his place in the industry was put in serious danger in February when an employee at a Phoenix Marriott Hotel accused him of misconduct during an interaction between the two.
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Irvin was in town to cover the Super Bowl as a part of his job working for the NFL Network. Following the accusations, he was suspended from his position and began a months-long public battle with the hotel giant and even filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott.
Dallas Cowboys schedule: Week 1 vs. New York Giants on Sept. 10
Well, that war to clear his name with the billion-dollar company seems to have ended along with his ban from the NFL Network. On Sunday morning, Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken revealed “Michael Irvin reached a settlement with Marriott in his $100M defamation lawsuit against the hotel chain. He is expected to appear on NFL Network on Sunday morning for the first time since a Feb. 5 hotel lobby encounter led to his suspension.”
The settlement is huge news for the Dallas Cowboys icon because it essentially clears him of the accusations in the minds of network decision-makers and helps him return to his weekly role with one of the most prominent media companies in NFL coverage.
Unfortunately, the accusations did cost him his role as a football debater on ESPN’s “First Take.” However, it was revealed in August that he will now serve as part of a trio of guest co-hosts on FS1’s popular sports talk show “Undisputed.”