Chad Johnson has been waiting for an answer to his challenge. For months, the fight everyone’s been talking about has lived in limbo, proposed, postponed, and now hanging on one man’s decision. And James Harrison, former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, has finally addressed it. And his conditions? They’re not what most expected from a star who made a career out of punishing quarterbacks.

“I don’t want to fight him. I will fight him if he wants to,” Harrison said in an interview with TMZ Sports. “I accepted my Lord and Savior almost two years ago now. And that part of me has kind of dwindled. But if it’s something he wants to do, honestly, I would seriously have to think about it. It wouldn’t be something that was difficult. It would kind of be an easy win. And then I got to think about it. What would I be doing it? I would be doing it probably for the money, and all money ain’t good money.”

The fight has been brewing between Harrison and Johnson all the way back to October 2024. Both the former NFL stars, 46 at the time, had announced an exhibition MMA bout scheduled for February 2025. It was supposed to happen in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX. But the matchup never materialized. Harrison was recovering from a full meniscus repair. And still the chatter persisted, until now.

The religious transformation James Harrison spoke of wasn’t just talk. It has fundamentally altered his stance on violence-for-entertainment, creating an internal conflict that didn’t exist back in his playing days. Fighting Johnson would be “easy” because of a 50-pound weight advantage during their careers. But that ease doesn’t equal purpose now.

The question for the fight resurfaced because Harrison has not carved out a new territory for himself in the media. Since the start of the 2025 regular season, he has been co-hosting ‘Deebo & Joe’ with former teammate Joe Haden. The show notably falls under the umbrella of NFL legend Shannon Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media empire. With Chad Johnson being an integral part of that empire, the fight talk just had to crop up again.

But now the fight might go down as one of the ‘what-ifs’ in football lore. But Harrison’s media presence has now put him in conversations beyond celebrity boxing. He has also spoken about his old team’s coaching situation and whether it’s stable heading into what could be a season-defining playoff run for Pittsburgh.

James Harrison on Mike Tomlin’s future

Beyond MMA hypotheticals, Harrison also offered a strong opinion on his former coach’s job. When asked whether Mike Tomlin was coaching for his job in the upcoming Wild Card game against the Houston Texans, Harrison didn’t hesitate.

“I believe Mike is safe as long as he wants to be in Pittsburgh, especially for next year,” Harrison noted. “I believe he’s 1000% safe. That’s going to be a decision that would be up to him. After that, I don’t know. But depending on how this turns out, that could change.”

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Harrison’s assessment also aligns with prominent NFL insiders. ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently reported that the Steelers firmly believe Coach Tomlin will return for the 2026 season. Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy also shared a similar take on the Dan Patrick Show after speaking with Steelers owner Art Rooney II: “I concluded that Mike Tomlin is not in jeopardy.” Multiple voices, same message.

The verdict remains unanimous. Mike Tomlin controls his destiny in Pittsburgh. James Harrison confirmed what league sources already knew: Pittsburgh’s coaching stability remains intact, regardless of what happens in the playoffs.