Longtime Buffalo Bills radio announcer John Murphy suffered a stroke at the end of the 2022 season, and his status as the Bills’ play-by-play man on WGR 550 for the 2023 season was up in the air. Now, the Bills and their flagship station partner have announced that Chris Brown, who filled in for Murphy last season, will be the interim replacement.

Murphy, who has been the radio voice of the Bills in Western New York since Van Miller retired in 2003, suffered a stroke at the end of last season, missing the doomed Monday Night Football game against the Bengals (which was postponed due to the Damar Hamlin situation), the season closer against the New England Patriots, and the team’s two playoff games. Chris Brown filled in for Murphy at those games.

On Thursday, the franchise issued a statement announcing Brown will keep the gig for the foreseeable future:

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“The Bills and WGR 550 announce that Chris Brown will continue in his role as the interim play-by-play voice of the Bills radio network to begin the 2023 season. Brown filled in for John Murphy at the conclusion of the 2022 season calling the regular season finale and both playoff games. We continue to wish John and the Murphy family the best in his recovery.”

Brown will continue to do games with former Buffalo center Eric Wood, and keeping his interim title seems to suggest that Murphy could return at some point later in the season.

The new interim Bills announcer is a Long Island native but attended SUNY Geneseo, about 50 miles east of Orchard Park. He’s worked for the Bills now for 17 years in various roles. His current Twitter bio lists his jobs as Co-host  of One Bills Live and Bills By The Numbers podcast, as well as an insider, TV Network pre-game co-host, and radio analyst.