Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK reports that Bryant Gumbel is bidding adieu to the NFL Network.

The lead play-by-play announcer during the network’s first two years of existence is apparently hanging up the mike. In a released statement, Gumbel explains that he “thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity” to call games on NFLN, but added that he & the network “agreed that we’d all be better served going in different directions.”

Creative differences? Or a cute way to say you were canned? Either way, Bryant is bidding adieu. But it might have been his earlier comments about Gene Upshaw that could have paved the way for his eventual exit.

In an August 2006 edition of HBO’s “Real Sports”, Gumbel had a message for then-incoming NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the executive director of the NFL Players’ Association:

“Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw’s leash. By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor has kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted. Try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch.”

Based on recent drama surrounding Upshaw, Gumbel may have a point. (However, Mike Freeman of CBS SPORTS strongly begs to differ.)

We suppose Gumbel’s goodbye would be bigger news, if anybody’s home channel surfing setup actually had the NFL Network.