Mike Tomlin’s move to NBC leaves one question hanging: Will he coach again? A Pittsburgh Steelers player now suggests the answer is no. Steelers’ star defensive tackle Cam Heyward indicated that Tomlin isn’t planning a return to an NFL sideline, saying he appears fully settled in his new broadcasting role.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Cam Heyward believes Mike Tomlin will not return to Coaching: ‘Guys, he’s not coming back. He’s way too comfortable. He told me as soon as he walked in, ‘I win every week now.’ And I’m like, ‘I get that.’ I get that. And I’m not gonna fight against that because that’s a pretty sweet job he’s got going on over there,” Steelers Depot posted on X.
Cam Heyward played his entire career under Mike Tomlin, so his view of the coach’s move into television carries weight. Heyward has said he enjoys seeing this side of his former coach.
“It’s fun, because we’ve always appreciated Mike T. for who he is as a man and who he is as a person, so to see everybody see his personality, I think it’s really cool because it just gives a different side to him,” Heyward said.
He also thinks Tomlin is getting the hang of the job.
“He’s getting more comfortable, but he’s electric,” Heyward added. “He brings good stories. He’s accountable. He’s not looking to bash anybody, but he’s really telling that side of the game. And I know he studies, so I’m proud of him for doing that, and it’s fun to watch.”
Tomlin sounds just as content. After 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, he has become a familiar voice on Football Night in America, and he told The Dan Patrick Show how different this fall feels.
“I am having the time of my life to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said on The Dan Patrick Show. “I’ve never had an August, man, since I was like 8 years old. I’ve always been on a football team and in a camp-like setting of some description.”
He added, “I’ve enjoyed 2026, man. The free time, having an opportunity to really just focus on my wellness, getting into shape and things of that nature”
His contract may also keep him in the booth. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that Tomlin’s NBC pay is heavily backloaded, so leaving early would mean giving up a big share of guaranteed money.
“NBC snares him, big money deal … a little backloaded, so they want him to stay,” Marchand said. “That’s an incentive for him to stay. Could he go back to coaching? He says no, but we’ll see. I think he’ll be under the spotlight.”
Even so, NFL teams are expected to come knocking. Front Office Sports reporter Mark Maske believes Tomlin would be in high demand if he chooses to return.
“Mike Tomlin is expected to be in extremely high demand as an NFL head coaching candidate in the coming months, but it’s not considered automatic that he would leave his broadcasting job at NBC to accept a big-money coaching offer,” writes Front Office Sports’ Mark Maske.
It is easy to see why teams would be interested. Tomlin finished with 193 wins, 114 losses and 2 ties in Pittsburgh, never posted a losing season and won a Super Bowl after the 2008 campaign. The late stretch of his tenure was less kind in January, though. The Steelers have reached the playoffs six times since 2016 but have not won a postseason game since that season.
For now, Tomlin seems happy in the booth, but with teams likely to come calling, the question of a return will not go away anytime soon.