You don’t expect to hear about a sideline reporter fighting through an injury the way athletes do, but Amanda Balionis just revealed that she’s doing exactly that. The longtime CBS Sports voice and familiar face on the NFL beat is having a tough time as the 2025 season begins.
Balionis, 39, started her football gig last week, but instead of focusing only on travel and game prep, she’s also juggling doctors, therapy sessions and acupuncture. Her Instagram following of more than 350,000 fans already saw her share the update this week.
Just last month, Amanda Balionis looked happy, sharing a stunning bikini photo before the football season began.
Balionis’ Painful Road To Start The Season
Balionis said she’s dealing with a pinched nerve, something the Mayo Clinic describes as pressure on a nerve caused by surrounding muscles, cartilage or tendons. The pain runs from her C4 and C5 vertebrae into her shoulder blade. She admitted she tried heat therapy, but that only made things worse.
“Pinched nerve update: Already feeling relief from (chiropractor) appointment this morning,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m stopping the heat therapy. Sticking to ice and Advil. Acupuncture appointment tonight for a final Hail Mary before a crazy few weeks of travel.”
That travel schedule is no joke. Veteran reporter Laura Okmin once broke down the week: Friday flights, Friday practice access, Saturday hotel meetings with coaches, production huddles, Sunday stadium arrivals hours before kickoff, sideline duties during the game and postgame pressers. Then another late-night flight home. Imagine doing that while carrying sharp nerve pain in your neck and shoulder.
Balionis, who graduated from Hofstra in 2008, has been part of CBS’s NFL coverage for years and has become a trusted voice for golf as well. She has anchored coverage of The Masters since 2018. Her connection to the golf world even drew attention earlier this year when Rory McIlroy and Amanda Balionis posed for a photo that made the rounds after Augusta.
Now the focus is back on her health. She’s grateful for the advice and encouragement coming her way, but she knows the work schedule will be heavy. Week 2 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night when the Packers host the Commanders on Amazon Prime. If Balionis can get her pain under control, she’ll be right there on the sideline.
