Mike Tomlin stepped down as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach on Tuesday after 19 seasons, and Fox is positioned as the favorite to land him in what could become the highest-profile coaching-to-television move since Tony Romo.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Fox is considered the front-runner among networks interested in Tomlin, primarily because the network has not filled Jimmy Johnson’s seat on Fox NFL Sunday following Johnson’s retirement in March.
“While we are not here to argue if Tomlin belongs in Canton or not, he qualifies for what Fox seeks, and the network would have interest, according to sources,” Marchand wrote.
The speculation about Tomlin’s television future has intensified in recent weeks, with multiple media insiders suggesting a chair is waiting for him if he wants it. ESPN’s Peter Schrager said in late December that “there’s a chair waiting” for Tomlin at Fox, NFL Network, or ESPN.
Fox’s interest makes sense given the network’s need to replace Johnson, who retired after 31 seasons with the show. Johnson, 81, announced his retirement during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, ending one of the most successful runs in sports television history. The network chose not to immediately replace Johnson, instead relying on the existing crew of Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, and Rob Gronkowski.
The 53-year-old Tomlin had been the Steelers’ head coach since 2007, compiling a résumé that includes a Super Bowl championship, six division titles, and an unprecedented streak of never posting a losing season. But it’s his press conferences that have made him a media darling.
In addition to Fox, CBS represents another logical destination, having successfully employed former Steelers coach Bill Cowher on The NFL Today since 2007. But two former Pittsburgh coaches on the same set might feel redundant, even if Cowher’s presence proves the Steelers-to-CBS pipeline works. ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix — which just hired Elle Duncan away from ESPN for a wide-ranging sports hosting role — could also enter the mix, especially as streaming platforms expand their NFL presence.
The bigger question is whether Tomlin wants this at all. He dismissed television speculation during a January appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, saying flatly, “I don’t participate in any of that.”
History suggests a television sabbatical wouldn’t end Tomlin’s coaching career. Sean Payton spent a year at Fox before winning in Denver. Bruce Arians called CBS games for one season before winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. The path exists if Tomlin wants it.
For now, Tomlin is leaving the sidelines. And Fox has an empty chair waiting.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.