Where Will Mike Tomlin Land In NFL Media Landscape? NBC, Fox Top Odds Board

By Thomas Leary

Mar 25th, 2026 9:22 AM EDT

Tomlin will be a hot commodity ahead of the NFL season (USATODAY)

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The NFL's hottest media free agent just made his first big move -- and it didn't involve a headset. Mike Tomlin, who stepped down as Steelers head coach in January after 19 seasons and a 193-114-2 record in Pittsburgh, has signed with Sandy Montag of The Montag Group for representation in what promises to be one of the most competitive talent acquisitions in recent broadcast history.

The 54-year-old Super Bowl champion has confirmed he won't coach in 2026, and Montag --whose client roster includes Mike Tirico, Jim Nantz, Scott Van Pelt, and the late John Madden --doesn't sign coaching clients to do the media equivalent of holding a clipboard. This is a signal flare. Tomlin is ready for TV, and the networks know it.

The timing couldn't be better. NBC just gutted Football Night in America, parting ways with Tony Dungy after 17 years and likely moving on from Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth. Amazon's deal with Kirk Herbstreit expires after 2026, with the streamer reportedly eyeing upgrades. ESPN is stockpiling talent ahead of its first Super Bowl in February 2027. And Fox, despite plugging Rob Gronkowski into Jimmy Johnson's old seat, could still use a heavyweight coaching voice.

Everyone in the media business is asking the same question: Where does Coach T end up? We've gone through every open seat, every contract situation, and every network's strategic priorities to set the board.

Odds of Mike Tomlin's Media Move

These are hypothetical odds provided by Bookies.com and not available on US betting apps.

NBC - Football Night in America +150

NBC has the clearest opening and the most urgent need. With Dungy gone after 17 years, Harrison likely out, and the network planning to take its revamped pregame show on the road full-time, they need a centerpiece analyst who can carry a slimmed-down cast alongside Maria Taylor. Tomlin is the perfect fit: a coaching heavyweight who immediately becomes NBC's most credible football voice outside the Tirico-Collinsworth booth. The Montag connection is key here—Sandy Montag already represents Tirico, NBC's franchise play-by-play man. That shared representation could grease the wheels considerably. The salary math works too: NBC likely budgets $6-10M for this seat, right in Tomlin's expected range.

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Fox NFL Sunday +250

Fox was considered the early favorite before NBC blew up its pregame show. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic initially identified Fox as the frontrunner, noting the network hadn't filled Jimmy Johnson's seat with a coach of similar stature. While Gronkowski stepped in last August, the desk of Bradshaw, Strahan, Long, and Gronk could use some coaching gravitas.

Fox NFL Sunday has an unwritten rule -- the desk requires Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers -- and Tomlin's Canton case is a sure thing. His close relationship with Fox insider Jay Glazer is also a factor. But the Gronkowski hire may signal Fox is content for now, which drops them to second.

Amazon Prime Video +400

Here's where it gets interesting. Herbstreit's contract expires after the 2026 season, and Amazon is reportedly exploring upgrades -- with names like Travis Kelce, Sean McVay and Greg Olsen in the mix. Al Michaels, now 81, is on a year-to-year basis. If Amazon decides to overhaul its entire Thursday Night Football operation for 2027, bringing Tomlin in for a bridge year on the studio side in 2026 makes strategic sense. Amazon has the deepest pockets of any bidder, and a Tomlin TNF booth debut in 2027 would be a seismic move. The question is whether Tomlin wants to wait or wants the biggest stage right now.

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ESPN/ABC - +500

ESPN is building a war chest of talent ahead of its first Super Bowl broadcast in February 2027. They already have Buck and Aikman in the MNF booth (Aikman is signed through 2027), the ManningCast, Jason Kelce and Pat McAfee. Adding Tomlin to the Countdown desk or a dedicated pregame role would add coaching cred to an operation heavy on personality.

But that's also the problem: ESPN may have too many mouths to feed. Tomlin risks being one voice among many rather than the voice. The money would be there -- ESPN can afford it -- but the platform might not match what NBC or Fox can offer.

CBS/NFL Today +700

CBS would love Tomlin, but there's an elephant in the room wearing a chin strap: Bill Cowher already has the coaching chair. Having two former Steelers head coaches on the same pregame desk would be unprecedented and potentially awkward. That said, CBS has been quietly positioning J.J. Watt in the No. 2 game booth, and the Tony Romo situation continues to simmer (he's in year six of a 10-year, $180M deal with mixed reviews). If CBS ever makes a Romo move, Tomlin-to-the-booth would be a blockbuster. But that's a 2028 conversation, not a 2026 one.

The Bottom Line

The Montag signing tells you everything: Tomlin is going to TV, and he's going to get paid. NBC has the most obvious opening, the most urgent need, and a shared agent with its franchise play-by-play voice. That's why they're our favorite at +150. But don't sleep on Fox's legacy desk or Amazon's deep pockets.

The only real question is whether Tomlin sees this as a one-year sabbatical or the start of the next chapter. Either way, the "standard is the standard" guy is about to set a new one for former coaches in media.

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