The Bengals selected him in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He began his broadcasting career after retiring from professional football. He currently works for a number of sports networks. According to reports, his current yearly compensation is $4 million. He earns enough money to sustain his family. However, he doesn't make too much compared to other football commentators. Collinsworth's annual salary is higher than most athletes who have their own sports channels or magazines because many people believe that football fans want to hear about drama in sports centers rather than watch it themselves. Nevertheless, he has been able to build up an audience by giving useful advice to aspiring players and coaches. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a bachelor's degree in speech communication, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He began his broadcasting career at WLWT-TV in Louisville, Kentucky before moving on to ESPN in 1998. His current employer is CBS Sports. He covers various NFL games each week including Monday Night Football and The Super Bowl. He makes a lot of money because he has so many viewers that it can be difficult to find anyone who hasn't heard of him. Also, since he works for several different networks, his appearances are likely to catch attention from many more people than just those who follow football.