Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is joining NBC Sports to serve as a studio analyst on “Football Night in America,” according to a report by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Tomlin, who would be making his debut as a full-time television analyst, is reportedly expected to work alongside Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty on the retooling pregame show — which is believed to be slimming down its cast and potentially moving exclusively on the road to the site of games. He would be the first new member of the “Football Night” cast since 2023.
NBC Sports declined comment to Sports Media Watch.
Tomlin stepped down as Steelers head coach following the 2025 season, ending a 19-tenure that included a Super Bowl title in 2009. It remains unknown if he would want to resume coaching in the future.
“Football Night in America” — annually the most-watched NFL studio show thanks to its primetime window — could undergo more changes prior to the season amidst uncertainty around the status of Rodney Harrison, Jac Collinsworth and Chris Simms. Longtime analyst Tony Dungy confirmed after the season that he would not be returning to “Football Night in America” next season after 17 years on the studio program.
Fox reportedly had interest in adding Tomlin, but NBC per Marchand had “the biggest need for his services.”
Marchand reported that Tomlin’s free agency “was watered down partly” because the NFL is expected to attempt expediting its existing media rights negotiations. NBC’s current deal runs through 2034 and contains an opt-out the league can enact following the 2029 season, but the league is believed to want new deals in place before the start of this coming season. NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said on the “Sports Media Watch Podcast” last October that the company will hold rights to Super Bowl LXIV no matter what transpires.
“We talk to the NFL daily, maybe every other day,” Cordella said at the time. “It’s one of these relationships that we have, that it would be no surprise if they want to talk about the future and where things are going. We welcome those conversations and have them. Do we strike a deal prior? Do they have real serious negotiations — that’s really up to the NFL.”
