Redskins play-by-play announcer Larry Michael retires after 16 years

Another familiar face is out the door at Redskins Park.

The Washington Redskins have had a very transformative offseason, in a multitude of ways. It all started when Bruce Allen was fired at the turn of the decade. Jay Gruden and the rest of the coaching staff followed his lead in a clean sweep of the organization, and Dan Snyder hired Ron Rivera to take charge of the next era.

After that initial move, Rivera spent the first months of the year filling his staff, and that process has even extended up to this point. Former Redskins coaches aren’t the only ones leaving, of course. One by one, traces of the previous regime are either bowing out or being forced out, and the latest to flow through that process is play-by-play announcer Larry Michael.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, Michael, whom many have recognized as the team’s official announcer during games, as well as the host of the team’s pregame “Skintangibles” show, has retired after 16 seasons with the team. Michael released a statement, which was relayed by Keim. That statement can be read below:

“After 16 great years my time with the organization is over. As of today I’ll be retiring from my position with the team. As a lifelong Washingtonian I was blessed to work with a lot of great people. I want to thank everyone who contributed over the years. I’m especially grateful to Dan Snyder for giving me the opportunity. On to the next chapter.”

The team did not release a statement on Michael’s retirement, and in fact declined to comment, according to a Washington Post article.

There has been speculation — and nothing more than speculation, it’s important to note — that Michael’s retirement is related to the ousters of Alex Santos and Richard Mann II, which occurred earlier in the week. The reasoning for the firing of Santos and Mann was not disclosed, but reporters have been hinting at a damaging revelation that has not yet been made public to fans.

For now, however, there is no known correlation between these events. Michael was with the team for many years, and with the mascot changing, it was a logical time for him to hang up the microphone. The loss of Michael’s distinct voice and enthusiasm leaves a void in the booth, one that the Redskins will presumably look to fill ahead of the regular season.