The headlines said it just as the contract expired—Charissa Thompson’s FOX era was ending. After a decade on the network, her run officially wrapped following the 2024 NFL season, just after the Eagles and Chiefs clashed in the Super Bowl. She even celebrated her career with a heartfelt Instagram post, it’s not just a job, but a chapter of her life. “As a little kid I always dreamed of being a sports broadcaster,” she wrote. “Now 31 years later, holding a real microphone & covering these amazing athletes and coaches who are living out their dreams, I’m forever grateful. The bonus is, I get to do it alongside not only my friends, but best friends and now family 🤍.” But once her contract ran out in February, heartfelt messages like these were speculated to be goodbye texts. The rumours were loud. 

But those didn’t last long. Charissa Thompson shut them down with a bold, unapologetic “No, I’m not leaving FOX.” Sitting down with Calm Down podcast, she said: “I was never leaving FOX. I don’t know where this took on a life of its own.” To quiet the noise, she even said, “I will hopefully end my career there in a long, long time.” She didn’t just clarify—she took control. “I was never fired,” she stated, drawing a clear line. Her voice was steady. The caption was enough to drown out any background voice. It read, “FAKE NEWS – @charissajthompson is NOT leaving Fox Sports.”

Now she is making her point even clearer. Recently, she posted an Instagram story to her 553K followers, offering a real-time update. It showed her on set, filming with the caption: “Back at it with my @nflfilms family.” Charissa Thompson hosts NFL Films Presents on FS1. She also contributes to various NFL spots like FOX NFL Kickoff and Amazon’s Thursday Night Football pregame show. She’s led NFL Films Presents since 2018, delivering 23 episodes a season. Thompson is responsible for lending her voice to the Emmy-winning series. It’s more than a hosting role—it’s storytelling that captures football’s soul. Charissa hasn’t confirmed any new contract yet. No big reveal. Just Charissa doing what she does best—working, building, showing up. Right now, there’s no drastic career shift on the horizon. 

Thompson’s story has never been about sudden exits or quick fame. Before the bright lights, she was just a kid bonding with her father over football.” I started watching football with him every Sunday, and it was just something I fell in love with,” she said.  The 43-year-old, who joined FOX in 2013, had built a legacy from the sidelines, her voice becoming a Sunday staple. She started at FOX at just 22, working in the HR department. No shortcuts. From there, she carved out a space that’s now considered legacy status. So when fans and headlines started whispering about her departure, the narrative spun faster than the truth.  

But even though there is uncertainty surrounding the next steps of her professional life, she’s very vocal about the rules of personal relationships. 

Charissa Thompson’s dating rule #1: don’t make her guess

Charissa Thompson brings more straight-talk wisdom to the Calm Down podcast, this time diving deeper into dating dynamics. She responded to a question many have probably asked themselves, even if they’ve never said it out loud. “If you’re initiating the chats, that’s fine. That shows that you’re interested. But is she just like sending you one-word responses? Is she sending you, like, you need to do something to keep the conversation and the activities like moving forward.” Her tone was clear—show effort, but also read the room. In the modern, difficult-to-navigate dating world, this simple advice resonates with the youth. 

Charissa’s wisdom isn’t limited to career moves or lifestyle. On this episode, she and co-host Erin Andrews tackled dating advice with the same honesty fans love them for. They addressed a listener’s question: “Crushing on this girl, I start most chats laying low to see if she will engage me, bad move?” Charissa didn’t hold back. “I like a guy that is going to make it very obvious that he likes me,” she said. Her answer was clear—confidence is attractive, and making your interest known matters.

Thompson put on her love guru hat and got to explaining. She continued, pulling from her own brief time in the dating world. “Because just like the back and forth after a while, I know the very limited time I was actually dating, I would hate it when it’d just be like pen pal. I’m like, are we doing something? Are we not doing something?” Charissa put into words what so many feel but rarely say. Messaging without action? It’s exhausting. She was pointing to something more than just texting—it was about purpose.

Her final message hit with clarity. “Like you’re the guy, you make the plan and if I’m on board, then I’ll just come in and come up with ideas.” Her words weren’t harsh—they were empowering. She reminded listeners that connection takes effort, but not confusion. Initiative matters. And if you’re interested, show it. In a world full of digital back-and-forths, her advice felt refreshingly human.