For at least a decade, Mike Tomlin has been the first choice for the billion-dollar NFL media partners’ board to join them as an analyst. But with him standing strong with the Pittsburgh Steelers, no one could make a move – until he stepped down from his head coaching position in January.

Predicting a sweepstakes and already losing Jimmy Johnson to retirement, FOX offered a position first. The NFL mastermind, though, wanted to take his sweet time deciding. On Tuesday, the legendary coach put pen to paper with a historic network, giving them an added edge over FOX and other networks.

“Mike Tomlin, one of the most intriguing NFL TV prospects in years, is headed to NBC to be a top studio analyst on its Sunday night pregame show, “Football Night in America,” sources briefed on the move told The Athletic on Tuesday,” wrote The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

How long Tomlin remains behind the desk is not known yet, but what is confirmed is that NBC has gained good leverage over other TV networks with this move. Earlier, we reported that NBC was at the greatest risk of losing the Sunday Night Football to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The reason was simple…

The league is looking to get more money through a renewed media rights deal. A service like Netflix, which is eager to enter America’s biggest sporting market, won’t have any issues providing that amount. Meanwhile, NBC is already writing a check worth billions to the NBA and has recently introduced MLB, blocking their money flow to the NFL. But with Tomlin, NBC added a big win to its board.

You see, NBC has been historically broadcasting the NFL and is synonymous with the Sunday Night Football. The talent there, though, was growing stale. Tomlin joining NBC’s Sunday night pregame show “Football Night in America” as an analyst only adds more reasons why the fans would want to watch the channel. It might even effectively end the bidding war for the NFL’s SNF spot.

The FNIA has the highest rating of all Sunday NFL pregame shows ahead of the prime time game. Adding to it would be Tomlin, who will join host Maria Taylor, ex-Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, and Devin McCourty. And who can deny Tomlin’s NFL knowledge?

Anyone who has seen his game pressers knows the way he has with words. Then there’s his phraseology. It’s simply fun to hear the man talk football. Now, we will get to hear it often with NBC. The move itself, though, is a little surprising.

FOX was the top contender to sign the former Steelers HC since January. They had an open spot after Johnson retired, and Tomlin is pretty close with Jay Glazer, who is a member of the FOX network. Instead, he opted for another historical network to continue its legacy.

The network is already trying to improve its pregame show. It is looking to add more star power with fresher outlooks while also reducing the total number of people involved. This reimagination has seen Tony Dungy’s dismissal after 17 years with them. The roles of Rodney Harrison, Jac Collinsworth, and Chris Simms are also in question.

NBC has not commented on Tomlin’s arrival yet, nor are the details of the contract out. But we can see why NBC was interested in bringing him into the fold.

But NBC bringing in one of the most celebrated coaches of the century is not just a hunt for a super face but an investment for the future. History has proven why Super Bowl-winning head coaches make great analysts.

Mike Tomlin is not the only Super Bowl-winning HC on the analyst panel

In the 21st century, Mike Tomlin has one of the best resumes among NFL head coaches. In the 19 seasons, he has steered the Steelers to the playoffs 13 times. He finished his Steelers career with a record of 193-114-2 in the regular season and an 8-12 record in the playoffs. The latter also includes the win over the Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl XLIII. His predecessor, Bill Cowher, also followed the same path.

Cowher stepped down as the Steelers’ HC in 2007, when he was 49. In February 2007, he joined CBS’s “The NFL Today” and has been part of it since. There is also the example of former Dallas Cowboys head coach and FOX analyst Jimmy Johnson.

Johnson served as the HC of the Cowboys for five seasons, from 1989 to 1993. During that time, he won two consecutive Super Bowls. After that, he joined FOX as an analyst. But he left the job to become the Miami Dolphins HC in 1996. Following the 1999 season, he returned to FOX and continued until his retirement.

Which path Tomlin takes remains to be seen. But he had already said that he wants a break from coaching, and what better way than talking about the sport he loves with the entire nation? As of now, we are excited to see the former Steelers head coach in a suit, rather than the Nike-branded full sleeves shirt and black sunglasses.