Michael Irvin files lawsuit after NFL, ESPN remove him from Super Bowl coverage

Irvin's lawyer claims a Marriott manager filed a false complaint with the NFL to intentionally tarnish the Hall of Famer's relationship with the league.

Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (left) interviews Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during opening night at the Super Bowl Monday.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

by Rob Tornoe

Updated Feb. 10, 2023, 4:48 p.m. ET

Published Feb. 10, 2023, 11:30 a.m. ET

Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Marriott and one of its employees following allegations of misconduct that got him pulled from television coverage of the Super Bowl.

The lawsuit, filed in Collin County District Court and obtained by The Inquirer, claims Irvin had a “brief, friendly interaction” with a Marriott employee at a hotel in Arizona Sunday night.

Irvin contends Marriott acted “recklessly” by reporting to the NFL that the former Cowboys wide receiver acted inappropriately, which led to him being pulled from television coverage of the Super Bowl on the NFL Network and ESPN. The lawsuit also states Irvin was “woken up by a crew of security, to remove him from the hotel without any explanation or questions.”

The lawsuit contends that despite multiple witnesses supporting Irvin’s account of the situation, a Marriott manager contacted the NFL “with the intention of damaging” Irvin’s relationship with the league.

TMZ was first to report on the lawsuit.

Levi McCathern, Irvin’s attorney, said his client has been “railroaded” by the hotel’s management and become a victim of “cancel culture.”

“When we reached out to speak to the hotel about the situation, they refused to speak to us or any of these other witnesses who were with Michael at the time,” McCathern told The Inquirer in a statement. “Instead, the hotel chose to file a false complaint against Michael with the NFL and tarnish his relationship with the league and its network.”

An NFL spokesperson said the league had no further comment. Marriott did not comment on the allegations themselves, but a spokesperson said the incident didn’t occur at the company’s Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Glendale, Ariz., as the lawsuit states. Instead, the spokesperson pointed to reports that the incident happened at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel.

“Respect and Inclusion are among our company’s core values as we strive to create a welcoming environment for all guests and Associates at our award-winning Glendale property,” Steve Eberhart, the general manager of the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa, said in a statement.

The manager at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel was unavailable for comment.

Irvin, 56, has been one of the NFL Network’s leading personalities since he joined the league-owned network in 2009, and was set to be part of its NFL pregame coverage. He also makes regular appearances on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith, and had been scheduled to join the show Friday morning.