Why is Mike Tomlin on NFL Hall of Fame game broadcast? Explaining former Steelers coach's role for NBC

Why is Mike Tomlin on NFL Hall of Fame game broadcast? Explaining former Steelers coach's role for NBC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>Fans tuning into the Hall of Fame game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers may be surprised to see a familiar face in a new place.

>Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will be working the game as a broadcaster for NBC live from Canton, Ohio. Tomlin retired from coaching in January after 19 seasons as the Steelers head coach, which included two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory.

>Tomlin was the longest-tenured coach in the NFL when he retired, so he is sure to bring a wealth of knowledge with him when he works as an analyst. Here's why Tomlin will be broadcasting for NBC on Thursday night.

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Why is Mike Tomlin on NFL Hall of Fame game broadcast?Mike Tomlin is making his NBC debut during the Hall of Fame game broadcast, as the former Steelers head coach embarks on the beginning of a new career. Tomlin resigned from Pittsburgh in January, and instead of taking another head coaching job, opted to join the media.

>NBC, of course, is home of Sunday Night Football, as Tomlin will be the biggest name in the network's studio coverage.

>"I'm humbled and honored to come alongside the best group in sports, and really looking forward to the challenge of presenting the NFL to fellow football lovers on Sunday nights," Tomlin said in a statement in April. "I've been a part of a team since 1980, and I can't wait to join this one and help continue delivering high quality coverage along with my new teammates on Football Night in America."

Mike Tomlin joins Maria Taylor to talk about his new role on Football Night In America on NBC and Peacock! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dxiLKFQlw4

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 26, 2026MORE: Meet the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026

Mike Tomlin broadcast careerThis will mark the first time in Tomlin's career that he works as a broadcaster instead of as an NFL coach. In every year from 1995 until 2025, Tomlin was a coach of some kind for either a college or professional team, including much of that time as the Steelers head coach.

>In 2007, Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher as the Steelers head coach when Cowher retired from coaching to join CBS, where he has been ever since. If Tomlin continues to follow in Cowher's footsteps, then he could stay at NBC moving forward instead of returning to coaching.