“My Rock Star Fever Dream”: Carrie Underwood Shares Sneak Peek at Epic New ‘Sunday Night Football’ Intro

Carrie Underwood isn’t throwing in the Sunday Night Football towel just yet. What’s more, is after 13 years of running the show, she’s decided to switch things up. In a joint post with Sunday Night Football‘s NBC account a few days ago, Underwood made an announcement.

“A brand new version of the iconic anthem is ON ITS WAY,” the post shared. “Carrie Underwood RETURNS for another year on Sunday Night Football!”

The social media post shows Underwood in thigh-high black-and-silver boots and a sparkly suit set. Honestly, fans should have seen it coming when the country singer announced that this year’s anthem was in for a little bit of a genre switcheroo.

In a special teaser posted on Friday, Underwood gave fans a sneak peek into what the new track sounds like. Before you listen, I’ll give you a preview. It’s a little bit less Dixie Chicks and a lot more Motley Crüe.

View this post on Instagram

During a recent press release, Underwood talked about her excitement revolving around a more rock-ified version of the track.

“This year’s show open welcomes Sunday Night Football into my ongoing rock star fever dream,” she said. “I love this new version of the track and, once again, Tripp ( Dixon, Sunday Night Football show open creative director) and the incredible team behind the camera brought it to life in a whole new way that captures the spirit of this iconic song and the heart of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s one of my most favorite opens yet!”

The 2026 NFL season kicks off Sept. 13 with the Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants on NBC and Peacock. We can’t wait to hear the new Sunday Night anthem in full.

This Isn’t Carrie Underwood’s First Rodeo

If you’re surprised by Underwood’s decision to give the Sunday Night Football anthem a new musical direction, you really shouldn’t be. The American Idol winner and now judge has been a fan of the genre for decades, and has been known to do her own live covers of popular rock anthems from time to time.

From covering Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama I’m Coming Home” on Apple Music in July of 2022, to opening for Guns ‘N’ Roses in 2023, Underwood is no stranger to a little rock and roll magic.

As Tripp Dixon, the SNF creative director shared, “This season, we’ve drawn inspiration from Carrie’s deep, well-documented love of rock music – a perfect fit since our Sunday Night Football anthem was born from pure rock ‘n’ roll: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You.’”

Honestly, a little Joan Jett and Carrie Underwood sounds like exactly what this year’s football season needs.

Photo by: Lester Cohen/WireImage