Carrie Underwood Fans Are Overjoyed for Her Return to NBC’s Sunday Night Football Following Thanksgiving Absence

Carrie Underwood fans were excited to see the country music superstar’s Sunday Night Football introduction return after NBC used a special intro for Thursday’s Thanksgiving game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. The peacock network played the 2019 rendition of “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” with Joan Jett before Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. The intro was replaced by the Zac Brown Band’s special performance of “Chicken Fried” on Thursday.

Ahead of the game, NBC tweeted the “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” intro that has been used all season long. As usual, the intro was edited with mentions of the teams playing, so clips of the Patriots and Texas in action were included.

The tweet confirmed that Brown’s special “Country Fried” intro would be a one-off special for the holiday. Brown and his band were called in after Underwood was unavailable to record a different intro for the Saints-Falcons game.

Underwood has been performing the SNF intro for years, but this season’s new intro has been even more special as it features Jett. “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” is based on the Joan Jett & The Blackhearts hit “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” so it was only appropriate that Jett finally be brought in.

During an interview with WOR Tonight, Jett said it was her idea to contribute to a new recording of the song.

“I thought it’d be a good idea to get the Blackhearts playing it, instead of studio musicians, and have it be played by the band,” Jett explained. “So that was really how we got involved.”

Underwood has long been open about her love of Jett’s music, even bringing the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer out for a surprise duet at the CMA Fest in June.

“I feel like we’ve kind of had connections and bumped into each other in various places, and the stars just aligned and, it was like ‘What if Joan Jett came to CMA Fest? Well, let’s ask her!’” Underwood told PopCulture.com and other outlets over the summer. “So she’s here. The coolness has arrived, and I’m hoping some of it rubs off on me at least.”

Underwood later explained, “I mean, (I’m a fan of) the music, first and foremost. Before I even knew anything about Joan Jett, just hearing her songs on the radio… The more I got to know and see just how much of a trailblazer she was for not just women in her genre of music, but women in music in general, I mean I’m a fan on every level. Personally, professionally, musically. (It’s) an honor that she has heard my name before and agreed to come sing with me.”

NBC’s Sunday Night Football coverage starts at 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday nights.

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