Mike Tomlin, while making his broadcasting debut Sunday, said he resigned as Pittsburgh Steelers coach in part because the team’s veteran players “were worthy” of new leadership.
NBC officially announced Tomlin would be joining the network’s “Football Night in America” as a studio analyst. He was interviewed Sunday by “NBA Showtime” host Maria Taylor, who also hosts the long-running football studio show.
Taylor asked Tomlin about when he decided to walk away from the Steelers, after 19 years as the franchise’s head coach.
“It’s probably not an overnight decision, but it’s probably not something that I can articulate or share with people,” Tomlin said. “It’s just there’s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me, personally, and by that I mean just where I am in life, and I thought it was a good time for the organization, to be quite honest with you.
“We didn’t have a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years, and there’s just some veteran players there, guys like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt and (Chris) Boswell, man, that I thought were worthy of the excitement and the optimism associated with new leadership.”
Tomlin’s plans to join NBC were first reported last week by The Athletic. Known for his catchphrases, often dubbed as “Tomlinisms,” the 54-year-old was widely expected to be sought after by TV networks if he chose to pursue broadcasting over coaching.
“When Mike Tomlin talks, people listen. He’s one of the most iconic and respected coaches and voices in the NFL,” NBC Sports president Sam Flood said in a statement. “We’re excited that this Super Bowl-winning coach is coming straight from the sideline to ‘Football Night in America.’ His perspective and passion for the game will add an authentic new voice to NFL Sundays.”
“Football Night in America” has been the most-watched studio show in sports for all 20 seasons on NBC, serving as the lead-in to “Sunday Night Football.” Former NFL coach Tony Dungy revealed last month that NBC wasn’t bringing him back as an analyst, ending his 17-year run, and seemingly opening a spot for Tomlin.
Tomlin expressed “some anxiety” about trying something new but saw broadcasting as a way to keep involved in football.
“I just thought it would be a great way to stay connected to the game and the awesome people in it — players, coaches, executives — and I’m excited about doing that on Sunday night,” Tomlin said. “And traveling to different venues and getting that feel for the environment. And lastly, I just thought it would 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’ve 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, so, man, I’m fired up about it.”
Taylor asked Tomlin to project who’d be the Steelers’ quarterback next season, and Tomlin predicted Aaron Rodgers would return. The four-time NFL MVP hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll return to Pittsburgh for another season or retire at age 42.
“If you had a gun to my head, I’d say it’s AR,” Tomlin said. “Being around him for the 12 months that I was around him, he has 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. So, I think, at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”
As the Steelers coach, Tomlin compiled a 193-114-2 record in the regular season as well as an 8-12 mark in the playoffs. He resigned in January after a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild-card round.
Tomlin notably never had a losing season and led the Steelers to the playoffs 13 times, though they have not won a playoff game in their past seven appearances.
He twice led the Steelers to the Super Bowl, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIII.