NBC has reportedly won the race to sign Mike Tomlin as an NFL analyst for the new season.
Networks were scrambling to sign the 54-year-old ever since he announced in January he was leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 seasons and a Super Bowl win.
Almost every network coveted Tomlin but, according to The Athletic, he will be the lead analyst on NBC’s flagship Sunday pregame show ‘Football Night in America’.
Tomlin is set to be alongside host Maria Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty in the NBC studio before their primetime ‘Sunday Night Football’ games.
Fox, who are paying Tom Brady $375million over 10 years to call games, reportedly showed interest in Tomlin as a replacement for Jimmy Johnson but NBC has been busy refreshing its roster this offseason.
The network is overhauling its pregame shows and parted ways with NFL legend Tony Dungy after 17 seasons on the air last month.
NBC has reportedly won the race to sign Mike Tomlin as an NFL analyst for the new season
Tomlin will be with host Maria Taylor, ex-Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty
There are also question marks hanging over the NBC futures of Rodney Harrison, Jac Collinsworth and Chris Simms, while McCourty needs to sign a new contract as well.
NBC is considering moving the ‘Football Night in America’ broadcast to the road full-time. Previously Taylor has been based out of the network’s Connecticut studios on Sunday nights.
Tomlin, who won a Super Bowl with the Steelers at the end of the 2008 season, walked away after his team suffered a disappointing playoff exit against the Houston Texans in January.
Last month he signed with veteran sports media agent Sandy Montag’s agency, who represented John Madden and handles the affairs of a stunning group of on-air talent, including Mike Tirico, Jim Nantz, Scott Van Pelt, James Brown and Dick Vitale.
Tomlin ensured the Steelers never had a losing season while he was in charge. But the franchise enjoyed a frustrating lack of playoff success, last winning a postseason game in 2016.
The Steelers’ 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in January’s wild card round means they have now lost seven straight playoff games, the longest active streak in the league.
He was replaced by Mike McCarthy, another Super Bowl-winning coach, and it still remains to be seen whether Rodgers will be the team’s starting quarterback again next season.
Tomlin told his players he would be taking a break from coaching and, true to his word, he didn’t interview for a single opening in the NFL this offseason.
