Fans can still get to hear Mike Tomlin’s infamous Tomlinisms when he gets behind the studio desk as an analyst. The former Pittsburgh Steelers coach is dipping his toes into a new arena this year, joining NBC’s Football Night in America. Steelers icon Cris Carter thought the network couldn’t have found anyone better for their new agenda.

“… he [Mike Tomlin] said, ‘I’m going to take one year off.’ Got it. The NBC job for him is perfect.” Carter said on the Fully Loaded podcast on May 22. “But he’ll be so much better than Tony Dungy. He’s the best mic’d up in the NFL. Yeah, Mike Tomlin’s a dude, man.”

Tomlin has reportedly replaced Tony Dungy on FNIA. NBC had announced previously that it was going to revamp the show, which made way for the former Steelers coach. Dungy was on the show for 17 years. The Hall of Fame coach shared on social media that he had “been informed” by NBC that he wasn’t going to return to the panel. Aside from his off-field controversies regarding his stance on the LGBTQ community, many fans wanted the network to drop him because of the way he called games.

Dungy is known to be a cool-headed guy. But when you’re calling games, there needs to be some excitement and life in your voice, which is going to grip viewers. Dungy didn’t hit that brief in the memo. He was constantly called out by fans for being boring while relaying the play-by-play.

The Jacksonville Jaguars-Los Angeles Chargers Wild Card round in 2023 is easily one of the most momentous games for the Jags. They covered a 27-0 deficit, edging past the Chargers 31-30. It was the third-biggest comeback in the NFL’s postseason history. But Dungy and boothmate Al Michaels made it sound like it was just another game.

But Mike Tomlin is going to be a fresh voice. Steelers fans who have listened to him mic’d up know that he pipes up about the most random things. But he’ll have your attention. Like Dungy, he’s also a coach-turned-analyst, which means he’ll be giving us some valuable insights as well. Fans might finally get the best of both worlds.

For example, during a practice session with the Steelers, Tomlin landed a jab at the players who were yelling during their drills.

“I love the false enthusiasm,” he said. “I’m gonna see if we can make one of you guys quit today.”

Unlike Dungy, Tomlin was constantly talking up when he was on the sideline. He’s not a rah-rah guy either, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to fire up a moment when needed. During a game, while Tomlin was gassing up James Harrison, he demanded results from him by saying that his kids should have a good Christmas watching him play.

That’s the kind of commentary fans will pay their cable bills/subscriptions for.

“He’s got a language all of his own that everybody can understand,” Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli told The Athletic in 2021. “He’s got a really expressive personality. You’d want him in the studio so you could see him more, but I think he’d be equally good on a game. If you said to me you can take one guy out of the league right now, it’s not even a hard call. It’s Mike Tomlin.”

Tomlin told NBC and fellow FNIA host Maria Taylor, in an introductory interview, that this opportunity was a great way for him to be connected to the sport. And, he “[loves] to talk football.”

Cris Carter’s excitement for his former coach to take the mic is valid because he has first-hand knowledge of how creative Tomlin can be. But he also thinks that the new analyst might be snatched away by one of the other NFL teams.

Carter Believes Mike Tomlin Will be Back as a Coach

This is Mike Tomlin we’re talking about. He might have dimmed because of constant losses in the postseason, but he’s still one of the most winningest coaches in league history. Any franchise would want to have him on board.

“If I’m one of the 32 owners, I’m going to have a conversation with Mike Tomlin because he is the number one candidate available,” Carter added. “I mean, he’s been to 2 Super Bowls, only coach in NFL history never to have a losing season in Pittsburgh where they’re not spending a whole bunch of money. It’s not easy to win in Pittsburgh… And maybe he’ll definitely be back. Team that spends some money for him.”

There was already an initial buzz of a trade to the Buffalo Bills after they fired Sean McDermott. The team’s season ended with a playoff loss against the Denver Broncos. However, it quickly fizzled out due to contractual issues. Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was shocked and glad when he learned that Mike Tomlin had stepped down, and the team had just fired John Harbaugh.

“Holy s—,” he said, when suggested that the former Steelers coach become a candidate to lead the Ravens. “Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

We don’t know if anybody had any chats with Tomlin after he announced his decision to step away. But it looks like the hiatus is going to continue for a while, and he wants to be part of something new. At NBC, fans will also hope that he creates something worthwhile to keep the show going.