Former NFL coach Tony Dungy believes his outspoken Christian faith and pro-life advocacy may have played a role in his departure from NBC Sports after 17 years.

During a recent appearance on “The Sage Steele Show,” Dungy said NBC executives told him the network wanted to bring in younger talent. When asked whether his Christian beliefs and pro-life activism might have influenced the decision, he said he suspected they had.

“They don’t always appreciate you speaking about your faith,” Dungy said.

Still, the Super Bowl-winning coach said he has never intended to hide his Christianity.

“I’m always going to do that, and I’m going to try to do it in a respectful way, but people are going to know that I’m a Christian,” he said.

Dungy, who joined NBC Sports in 2009, was among several analysts the network replaced earlier this year, including Rodney Harrison, Chris Simms and Matthew Berry.

During the interview, Dungy recalled receiving pushback from NBC executives after speaking at the 2023 March for Life, an annual gathering of abortion opponents in Washington, D.C.

“They were not happy that I went,” he revealed.

According to Dungy, network officials were concerned about offending viewers on either side of the abortion debate. He understood their position, but he believed speaking at the event was important.

“I get it, but this is an important topic to me. I was asked to speak, and because it was important to me, I did,” he recalled telling executives.

Dungy said he continued advocating for pro-life causes outside his broadcasting responsibilities, including speaking out against a proposed Florida constitutional amendment addressing abortion in 2024.

He emphasized that he never intended to use NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” broadcasts to promote his personal views.

“I am pro-life, and I’m not going to be ashamed to say that,” he declared.

When Steele pressed him about whether he believed his activism contributed to his NBC departure, Dungy said he was “pretty sure,” although he acknowledged that he couldn’t know for certain.

He also made clear that he harbors no resentment toward the network.

“I look at it as I was there 17 years and had some great times and great relationships. The Lord has something different for me,” he said.

Beyond his NBC exit, Dungy reflected on how his Christian faith shaped his early NFL career.

Although raised in a Christian home, he admitted that he wasn’t always comfortable openly expressing his beliefs. That changed when he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, where teammates challenged him to take his faith more seriously.

One teammate asked him a question that stayed with him: “Are you a Christian all the time?”

Dungy said the question forced him to recognize moments when he had shied away from his beliefs and inspired him to live more consistently with his faith.

He also credited his mother, whom he described as a strong Christian, for teaching him that character and purpose mattered more than professional accomplishments.

Looking back, Dungy said he hopes his life reflects the values his parents instilled in him and his desire to honor God, regardless of where his career takes him next.