Five years after retirement, Philip Rivers stepped into a quiet role as a high school coach. However, just a few months later, Rivers now finds himself amid an NFL broadcasting bidding war after NBC locked in former Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin.

The 44-year-old former quarterback and grandfather is one of the hottest names in NFL TV free agency, according to reporter Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. In that report, McCarthy noted that as a quarterback, Rivers already checks many of the boxes networks and streamers look for in both game and studio analysts.

While discussions are still in early stages, reports indicate Rivers, who is represented by CAA, could have multiple opportunities. Per McCarthy, CBS Sports currently has an opening on The NFL Today after Matt Ryan moved into a front-office role with the Atlanta Falcons.

At the same time, FOX Sports is still looking to fill the void on FOX NFL Sunday following Jimmy Johnson’s retirement, while NBC Sports has an opening on Football Night in America after Chris Simms stepped away. Last but not least, there are the streamers. Earlier this month, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that YouTube and the NFL have entered a contract review centered around a potential five-game package.

When you connect that with Rivers re-entering the NFL conversation and previously leaving the door open for broadcasting, it’s easy to see why he has quickly become a sought-after name at 44.

“I’ve not ruled it out,” Rivers said during his appearance on Up & Adams’ Show. “But just every opportunity that’s been close to coming, or has come up, it just hasn’t felt right. So I haven’t completely ruled it out. I do think I could enjoy it.”

Quarterbacks transitioning into broadcasting is nothing new. Tom Brady signed a massive deal with FOX worth $37.5 million annually, while Troy Aikman at ESPN and Tony Romo at CBS each earn around $18 million per year.

That raises a natural question: Would Rivers prefer to call games or work in a studio role? Calling games typically come with bigger contracts, but it also requires more travel. Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, have 10 children, which could make a once-a-week studio role more appealing.

Put simply, Philip Rivers has multiple options to become a prominent voice in NFL media, and the interest is there. Whether he ultimately takes that step is currently uncertain. However, things might have looked different if Mike Tomlin was still free in the market.

Mike Tomlin makes his NBC debut following the Steelers’ exit

It’s been months since Mike Tomlin stepped down as the head coach of the Steelers following their wild-card loss to the Houston Texans. Since then, there has been speculation about his absence from the public eye due to limited media appearances.

Now, Tomlin has resurfaced, this time in a new role. NBC Sports announced that he will join as a studio analyst for its Sunday Night Football pregame show, Football Night in America.

“I just thought it’d be a great way to stay connected to the game and the awesome people in it, players, coaches, executives, and excited about doing that on Sunday night and traveling to different venues and getting that feel for the environment,” Tomlin told NBC’s Maria Taylor, explaining his decision to go into broadcasting.

“And lastly, I just thought it’d be awesome to share insight with fellow football lovers. I love to talk football. And so that’s just an exciting component for me. I got to admit, though, there’s going to be some anxiety about stepping into a new space, but good anxiety. It’s good to be uncomfortable, the growth associated with that. And so man, I’m fired up about it.”

Football Night in America will be on location at stadiums each week throughout the coming season, which means if the Steelers are in the Sunday night prime-time slot, Tomlin almost certainly would be on hand.

At the same time, attention has also shifted to Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation and what it could look like in Tomlin’s first year away from coaching. Aaron Rodgers has yet to confirm whether he will play in 2026, but Tomlin shared his belief on the matter.

“Man, if you got a gun to my head, I’d say it’s AR,” Tomlin said. “I just think, Aaron, I just think being around him for the 12 months that I’m around him, he’s got a love affair with the game of football and not only the game, but the process, the informal moments, the development of younger guys, the interaction with teammates. I think he has an addiction to that, and there’s only one way to feed it. And certainly he is still capable and in really good shape. And so I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”

Whether Rodgers actually suits up in 2026 remains his decision. But Tomlin believes he will, and current Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is reportedly in contact with the quarterback as well. For now, it’s a waiting game until Rodgers makes it official.

At this point, two things are clear. The speculation around Tomlin’s next step is over, and Philip Rivers could soon follow him as another former NFL figure entering the broadcasting space.