Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is set to join NBC’s “Football Night in America” as a studio analyst for the upcoming 2026 NFL season, according to multiple verified reports.
The move comes after Tomlin resigned from his position with the Steelers in January following 19 seasons at the helm of the franchise. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, Tomlin compiled a 193-114-2 regular-season record and an 8-12 postseason mark, including a Super Bowl XLIII victory in his second season as head coach.
Tomlin, who is 54 years old, will join host Maria Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and safety Devin McCourty on the NBC pregame show set. The network is reimagining its Sunday night pregame coverage, a process that has already led to the departure of longtime analyst Tony Dungy after 17 seasons.
NBC had been pursuing Tomlin for more than a decade due to his reputation as a Super Bowl-winning coach with deep football knowledge and a distinctive communication style. Sources told ESPN that talks between Tomlin and the network gained momentum in Augusta, Georgia, two weeks prior to the announcement.
The Athletic first reported Tomlin’s impending move to NBC, noting that the network had won out over Fox in bidding for his services. USA TODAY Sports confirmed the development, citing a person familiar with the situation who requested anonymity due to the lack of an official announcement from NBC.
Tomlin becomes the second former Steelers head coach to transition to broadcasting at NBC, following Bill Cowher, who joined CBS as a studio analyst in 2007 after stepping down from Pittsburgh. Cowher never returned to coaching after his departure.
During his time with the Steelers, Tomlin became known for memorable phrases such as “Two dogs, one bone,” “We want volunteers, not hostages,” “I’m fundamentally against comfort,” “I expect routine catches to be made routinely,” and “The standard is the standard.” These expressions are expected to be part of his on-air repertoire.
Tomlin won Super Bowl XLIII at age 36, making him the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl at the time. That record stood until Sean McVay, also 36, won the Lombardi Trophy with the Los Angeles Rams in February 2022.
The Steelers returned to the Super Bowl the following season but lost to Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers. Tomlin did not return to the Super Bowl in his final 15 seasons with Pittsburgh, and his recent postseason appearances were unsuccessful.
NBC’s “Football Night in America” has maintained the highest ratings among Sunday NFL pregame shows, largely due to its lead-in position to the network’s prime-time game of the week. The show’s format has evolved in recent years, with NBC exploring a shift from a hybrid model to fewer on-site personalities at games.
Insider Mike Florio is expected to return to the program, while Matthew Berry has served as a fantasy football contributor. NBC still needs to re-sign McCourty for the upcoming season.
The 2026 NFL season will mark Tomlin’s first full year away from coaching since entering the league in 2007. His transition to broadcasting represents a significant career pivot after nearly two decades as an NFL head coach.
As of Tuesday, April 21, 2026, NBC Sports had not issued an official comment on Tomlin’s hiring, according to reports from The Athletic and other outlets.
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