Just moments into this week's Thursday Night Football, Al Michaels' play-calling struggles reared their head once again. 

The 81-year-old announcer was back in the booth for Amazon Prime on Thursday as he and Kirk Herbstreit called the Green Bay Packers' Week 8 clash against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. 

However, after just five seconds into the matchup, football fans were already calling for the veteran announcer to retire. 

The first play of the game provided drama as the Packers fumbled the ball from the opening kick. 

After Coleman Owens fielded the ball, it was punched out of his hand at the 25-yard line and was recovered by the Panthers. 

Despite the thrilling start to the game, Michaels took his time on the call, seemingly not immediately realizing that the ball was out and was now the Panthers'. 

NFL viewers were quick to criticize the announcer for his delayed reaction with many urging him to call time on his career in the booth. 

'Packers fumbled on the FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME. Al Michaels didn't even realize,' one sports fan account wrote on X. 

'Al Michaels has lost his fast ball,' another posted. 'He is so delayed now on reactions to plays and is just not as sharp reacting to live plays like he used to be. He needs to hang it up.' 

'Al Michaels genuinely has no idea what the hell is happening on the field anymore,' a third claimed. 

A fourth added: 'Al Michaels is a tough tough listen. Gotta go after this season please football gods. I respect the legend but my gosh.' 

'Al Michaels is just so checked out now. Takes like 5 seconds to realize that there was a fumble, no excitement in the voice. Gotta hang the cleats up,' said another. 

It wasn't the first time that Michaels has faced scrutiny for his performance in the booth over the past few seasons. 

This year in particular he has faced increased criticism over his play-by-play calls, with many calling out an apparent lack of enthusiasm and pointing at more errors creeping in.

But Michaels insisted earlier this month that he will continue until he is told not to - or until he feels in himself that the time has come to step away.

'Well, either the people that I work for will tell me, or I'll know myself, a combination,' Michaels said on The Dan Patrick Show. 

'Let's put it this way. The folks at Amazon and Prime have been fantastic. Fantastic to me.'

Michaels continues to take his future year-by-year since his original three-year deal inked in 2022 expired.

Over the past two years, Amazon has checked in with him at the end of the season to gauge his interest in returning.

'If they come to me and say, you know, it's time for us to move on,' he continued. 'You guys have been fantastic. You've been great. 

'I've done the NFL for 41 years, which is half my life. Love it. But you know what? At a certain time, it's time. 

'And if they feel it's time, great. And if I feel it's time, I'll know it. And I'll say, 'You know what? Thanks for the memories.''

Michaels has worked on sports network television since 1971 and famously called the 'Miracle on Ice' in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

He has been calling NFL games play-by-play to a national audience since 1986, when he started on ABC Monday Night Football.

He joined NBC in 2006 then made the move to Amazon Prime Video when they acquired the rights to Thursday Night Football in 2022.