“Every time we got together we talked about life, we talked about coaching and the magic of getting a team to work together to find greatness.” – Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid (who also narrates the feature)
“Everybody in the league wanted to be a Raider, and that was 100% John Madden.” – Former Raider Phil Villipiano
“He loved coaching because it was about attention to detail. The more detail…the better the results were.” – Mike Madden, John Madden’s son
STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 25, 2025 – Before John Madden entered the broadcast booth or helped develop a video game that introduced football to millions, he had a tremendous impact on the game from the sidelines. Madden’s coaching legacy will be highlighted in an extended feature at halftime of the Cincinnati Bengals-Baltimore Ravens matchup this Thursday, Thanksgiving night on NBC and Peacock.
The feature will be narrated by Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who considered Madden a mentor. “I’d like to tell you a story about one of my favorite people ever,” Reid says in opening the piece.
Among those interviewed: Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs, who worked with Madden on the San Diego State coaching staff in the mid-1960s; Hall of Fame tackle Art Shell, who played for Madden on the Raiders and was a two-time Raiders head coach; former Raiders Phil Villipiano and Gus Otto; and Mike Madden, John’s son.
Following are select quotes from the feature:
“Everybody in the league wanted to be a Raider, and that was 100% John Madden.” – Phil Villipiano
“He loved coaching because it was about attention to detail. The more detail…the better the results were.” – Mike Madden
“Every time we got together we talked about life, we talked about coaching and the magic of getting a team to work together to find greatness.” – Andy Reid
“I learned so much from Coach Madden. He was very competitive. I don’t care if it was a scrimmage on Wednesdays or the game. He wanted to win.” – Joe Gibbs
“He recognized talent, and he let talent express itself. It was a fun atmosphere.” – Gus Otto
“No matter what happens, you go out and play hard, and good things are going to happen for you.” – Art Shell on Madden’s approach
In 10 seasons as the Raiders head coach, Madden had a .759 regular-season winning percentage – the highest in NFL history among coaches with at least 100 career victories. His Raiders won seven division titles (among eight playoff berths) and won Super Bowl XI. He never had a losing season.
The halftime feature was produced by David Picker, Rob Hyland and Fred Gaudelli and edited by Will Moss.
The National Football League continues to commemorate John Madden with the fourth annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration this Thursday, with several elements across the three games on Thanksgiving Day. The John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration began in 2022. Also on Thanksgiving night, the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast will stream live exclusively on Peacock.
- NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL –
