To most NFL fans and sports enthusiasts, Michele Tafoya is probably best known for her time working in sports media including when she featured as a sideline reporter for NBC broadcasts of “Sunday Night Football.

Michele Tafoya, a Republican, is aiming to flip an open seat in Minnesota currently held by Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.

Michele Tafoya, a former NFL reporter, launched her campaign as a Republican for Senate representing Minnesota to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith.

Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has filed paperwork to run for Minnesota’s Senate seat in the 2026 election, joining a crowded field of Republican hopefuls in the 2026 election. Tafoya, 61,

NFL Week 17 announcers, channels, streaming information, times for all 16 games on the NFL Week 17 schedule this week. Who is announcing each game?

On Tuesday, Tafoya announced that she is running for the U.S. Senate. While entering a crowded field for the GOP nomination, Tafoya, 61, the former “Sunday Night Football” sideline reporter, has already secured an endorsement from the National Republican Senatorial Committee and its chairperson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina).

Former NFL sideline reporter announces Senate bid in Minnesota as a Republican - Michele Tafoya pledges to ‘ask the tough questions and demand honest answers’

Not only are we going to break down the conference title games, but we're also going to take a look at the finalists for every major award that's being handed out, from MVP to Coa