Charissa Thompson has pointed to what she sees as a flaw in how airport security checks work, and the timing is hard to ignore. With the NFL season in full swing, broadcasters, players, and staff are crossing the country almost every week, leaving little room for delays. However, Thompson described the process as one that simply doesn’t add up.
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“Well, if I have two suitcases, and this is like an SAT problem: if I have two suitcases and there’s 40 pounds in each suitcase, that’s 80 pounds,” Charissa Thompson said on Calm Down With Erin and Charissa. “So, you’re gonna let—you’re gonna let me check the two suitcases that are 40 lbs each, but you’re not going to let me check the one piece of luggage that’s 80 lbs.
It just logically doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that, at some point, we have to put, like, a “Hey, you can’t be over here with 200 lbs now. The jet’s not going to be able to take off because of your [__].” That’s fine. But if I’m only 5 lbs over in a suitcase, is it—that’s really a problem? But you’re telling me that if I had another suitcase here, I could easily check two bags with 80 pounds.”
She will be in Baltimore for Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, where the Jaguars visit the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. From there, she heads to Annapolis, as FOX Sports marks America’s 250th birthday by honoring its veterans over Veterans Day weekend. The patriotic tribute continues at Annapolis and West Point on Sunday, November 8, at 11:00 AM ET.
The lineup includes Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Rob Gronkowski, Jay Glazer, Thompson, Charles Woodson and Julian Edelman.
With that much travel packed into a few days, Thompson has wondered why the screening process at airports can’t be a little more sensible.
Thompson’s Sundays are already full. FOX NFL Kickoff enters its 14th season in 2026 and airs at 11:00 AM ET, with Thompson hosting next to Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion Charles Woodson and Julian Edelman.
On Thursdays, she leads the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage for TNF, joined by Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman. Taylor Rooks rounds out the team with feature stories and longer interviews.
It’s a long way from where Thompson started. She first came to FOX Sports in 2006 as an assistant in the human resources department, then moved in front of the camera and eventually hosted and reported on some of the network’s biggest events and shows.
Beyond hosting, she also lends her voice and reporting to FOX’s NFL coverage through interviews, feature pieces, and voiceover work.
She isn’t the only broadcaster to run into trouble at the airport lately. Earlier last month, co-host Erin Andrews shared a story of her own.
“But then I’m the last one because I’m like, ‘Everybody go. My bags are getting searched, and we’re not just looking for… there’s something in their metal.’ They’re holding up my Invisalign, scanning it. I’m like, ‘You guys, it’s Invisalign,’” Andrews said on the podcast.
Andrews and her crew were running behind, with the car reaching them only 15 minutes before boarding. They even considered Newark Airport as a backup, but made the flight.
“We made it. They were boarding zone six by the time we made it. Goonies, never say die.”
Thompson’s complaint is a different one. Her trouble is with luggage weight, which can be a headache for someone moving from Baltimore to Annapolis and West Point in a single week.