Mike Tomlin is in his first year in media with NBC after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers following 19 years. He has been appearing on Football Night in America this season, so he stays close to the game without wearing a headset. But the question hanging over the NFL is whether he will stay in the studio. He left with a 193-114-2 (regular season) record, 13 playoff appearances, and no losing seasons.
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However, according to Hall of Famer Cris Carter, Tomlin’s return to the league may not be far away, as he predicts what may come next.
“To me, the wild card in this hiring cycle is Mike Tomlin because anytime you have a Super Bowl-winning coach who is of coaching age and is saying I’m not retired, and they’re on television, it becomes very appealing for an owner,” Carter said on a recent episode of Inside Football. Like it’s stability, success, those speeches, Mike Tomlin, if you play a reel of those, man, it’ll make you go downstairs and fire your guy.”
Mike Tomlin’s era as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers ended on January 13, 2026. Tomlin’s exit was entirely his own choice.
Despite mounting fan frustration and “Fire Tomlin” chants in the weeks leading up to his announcement, team president Art Rooney II explicitly stated that Tomlin asked to step down and was not fired.
Despite that, the 19-season veteran is still a promising prospect for any NFL franchise. The single biggest asset Tomlin brings is an immediate, proven competitive floor, having navigated 19 seasons without a losing record.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Tomlin addressed his long-term plans, saying that rather than closing the book on his career, he is intentionally using his time at NBC to step away from the daily grind, recharge, and evaluate his options.
“I don’t know about the long-term component of things. I’ve just lived enough to know to leave certain doors ajar.”
In the meantime, Mike Tomlin joined NBC Sports in April 2026 and currently serves as a premier studio analyst for NBC Sports’ Football Night in America. However, the exact number of years and formal duration of Tomlin’s contract with NBC Sports have been kept strictly confidential by both the network and his agency, The Montag Group.
That said, the 2027 NFL head coaching hiring cycle will formally begin in January 2027, immediately following the conclusion of the 2026-2027 regular season. It will be interesting to see if any franchise makes a move for Tomlin.
But as things stand, the New York Jets are reportedly the front-runners. Team owner Woody Johnson is reportedly “doing his homework” and asking extensive questions about Tomlin’s availability.