Potential TV ‘Bidding War’ for Mike Tomlin

Networks and streamers may get an early gift for 2026: Mike Tomlin could be heading to TV.

The charismatic Steelers coach has long been No. 1 on the wish list of NFL media partners looking to hire the next great analyst. Despite the 10–7 Steelers’ playoff-clinching win over the Ravens on Sunday night, there’s a growing drumbeat that Tomlin’s considering a media career. 

During NBC’s Football Night in America, insider Mike Florio noted “there’s a lot of steam about Tomlin maybe heading to TV.” Earlier, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport warned “there’s a possibility” the Super Bowl–winning coach could leave the Steelers in favor of a lucrative media position. “Step back, do some TV, maybe reassess his coaching future at another date,” mused the NFL insider.

But ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the 53-year-old Tomlin is likely to remain in Pittsburgh for his 20th season as head coach. By beating the Ravens, Tomlin tied Steelers coaching legend Chuck Noll with 193 regular-season wins. After winning the AFC North for the first time since 2020, who would argue with Tomlin’s decision to stay? “He’s got one year left on his contract. There’s a feeling, from many, that he will fulfill what he started,” Schefter said. “He’s the longest-tenured coach in the National Football League.”

Fellow ESPN insider Peter Schrager noted Tomlin is a natural for TV. “Having worked at Fox, having worked at NFL Network, and now here at ESPN, there’s is a chair waiting, whether it be in the booth or one of these wonderful, warm, weather-controlled sets for Mike Tomlin to make a lot of money talking football if he so wishes for a year,” Schrager noted. “Or he can pick his spot of open, vacant jobs.”

Tomlin makes $17 million a year as the Steelers coach. Given recent salary bumps for top NFL analysts, he might not have to take that much of a haircut. Tom Brady pockets $37.5 million a year at Fox, while Troy Aikman and Tony Romo earn $18 million, respectively, at ESPN and CBS.

Tomlin’s salary would depend on his position. With No. 1 NFL game analysts now serving as the face of their networks, those jobs pay the most. He’d earn far less as a once-a-week studio analyst, experts say.

“It depends on his role and whether there is a bidding war for him. Tony Romo raised the financial bar for No. 1 analysts—and Tom Brady doubled it,” notes Gary Myers, author of Brady vs. Belichick: The Dynasty Debate. “Tomlin makes about $17 million a year with the Steelers. If he’s hired for a studio show, my guess is the bidding starts at $5 million to $8 million.”

Where could Tomlin go? A natural landing spot would be CBS Sports. Matt Ryan of The NFL Today has had talks with Falcons owner Arthur Blank about returning to his former franchise in a “significant front office role,” according to insider Jay Glazer of Fox. 

CBS has found success with Bill Cowher, Tomlin’s Steelers predecessor, who’s been a mainstay of the pregame show since 2007, notes LeslieAnne Wade, the former CBS PR maven turned consultant. Could TV lightning strike twice?

“CBS has proven history with a great hire from the Steelers,” she says. “[Tomlin] sure has the DNA and real-world knowledge. He is charismatic, engaged, and personable. His delivery is unique, clear, and recognizable—and his style is his own.”

Adds Myers: “Tomlin’s press conferences are must-watch and he is so articulate and insightful that he immediately would be a television star. He’s the perfect replacement on The NFL Today if Matt Ryan takes a front office job with the Falcons. The only issue is whether CBS would want two former Steelers coaches on the set. I could also see Tomlin fitting in seamlessly on ESPN’s Sunday or Monday night countdown shows.”

Then there are the deep-pocketed streamers like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, which are all adding more live NFL games.

Handing Tomlin a hefty paycheck would amount to loose quarters in the couch cushions for Amazon. With its Thursday Night Football success, Prime could be in the hunt for a second NFL rights package once the league opts out early from its current cycle of 11-year deals worth $111 billion. Jay Marine, Prime’s U.S. boss, told Front Office Sports last fall he’s “optimistic” about one day landing the Super Bowl. Who better to call or analyze that game than Tomlin, who led the Steelers to their sixth Lombardi Trophy in 2009.

Don’t forget about Netflix, which just hired Elle Duncan away from ESPN for a wide-ranging sports hosting role.  Both Fox and ESPN have shut the door on streamers like Netflix borrowing their on-air talent. So look for Netflix to hire more full-time sports media talents like Duncan. The company helped the NFL set a new streaming record on Christmas Day by averaging 27.5 million viewers for the late-afternoon Vikings vs. Lions game. 

Over the decades, many NFL coaches have left for TV before returning to the sidelines. Tomlin could follow in the path of field generals like Bruce Arians and Sean Payton, both of whom took a TV break to recharge their batteries, before returning to the league. After retiring from the Cardinals, Arians called games for CBS for one season, before un-retiring and leading Brady’s Buccaneers to a Super Bowl championship. Payton served as a Fox studio analyst in 2022 before returning to the NFL. His 14–3 Broncos just ended the Chiefs’ nine-year reign atop the AFC West.

Tomlin might not be alone when it comes to seeking media opportunities. Following his brief return to the NFL with the Colts, Philip Rivers left the door open to a future in broadcasting, noted Awful Announcing. Many TV executives have told me over the years that Rivers has a folksy, home-spun quality similar to the late Dandy Don Meredith. “I’ve not ruled it out,” the 44-year-old QB told Kay Adams. Then there’s John Harbaugh, whose 18 years in Baltimore might be ending.

But Tomlin wouldn’t need a bidding war to make a killing in the media, notes Wade. All it takes is one eager suitor. “It’s like art,” she says. “If someone wants it, they’re happy to pay.”