It’s been a great season of NFL football and… Carrie Underwood.

Yes, the highly decorated country music superstar is a staple of the NFL season, and has been since she started singing NBC’s Sunday Night Football intro song  12 seasons ago.

Carrie was actually asked to do it a LONG time ago, but declined because she was just getting her career started. Pink was actually the first vocalist to perform the reworked version of the Joan Jett hit in 2006. And then, another country music powerhouse, Faith Hill, took the reins for the next 6 years. Faith eventually  thought it was time to give someone else a shot, and that’s when Carrie revisited the idea and  stepped up to carry the torch in 2013, and has done so ever since.

Carrie says being part of SNF is something she always looks forward to every year:

“It was so much fun to welcome the Sunday Night Football team back to the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas. Shooting the new show open is always something I look forward to, and Tripp and the whole creative team brought it yet again, and we had a great day putting on an exciting new performance. Like everybody else, I’m waiting all day for Sunday night!”

And now, with one of the best Sunday Night Football matches we’ve ever seen… a Lions vs Vikings battle for first place in the division and for the #1 seed in the NFC, Carrie has never been more right… we HAVE been waiting all day for a Sunday night.

New year, same Sunday night anthem. 🎤 @carrieunderwood pic.twitter.com/ilxwR4cFIY

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 6, 2025

Of course, as great as this game is about to be, and as great as Carrie Underwood is… in everything she does, and as great as her legs are… fans quickly realized that this is the last time we’re going to see them her until next football season.

Bummer…

Maybe they’ll bring her back for the playoffs this year, but last year, she was sadly absent despite NBC broadcasting playoff games on Sunday nights.

Either way, fans took to X tonight to voice their sadness and show their respect for the country music icon.

I’m going to miss Sunday night’s with Carrie Underwood 😚

— ItsRichNYJ 🐊✈️🏄‍♂️🇺🇸 (@Its_Rich2000) January 6, 2025

And with that, we shall seal Carrie Underwood away until the ’25-’26 NFL Season.

— Paul Martin (@bakpuckpaul) January 6, 2025

Genuinely believe there is no better song than Carrie Underwood’s Sunday Night Football. Gets me going every time #waitingallday #SNF

— Rod “Hot Rod” Kimble (@rodkimble23) January 6, 2025