On Thursday night, former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made his broadcasting debut on NBC. Tomlin interviewed Bryce Young, analyzed the Hall of Fame Game, and shared his thoughts on several offseason storylines. Tomlin has long been viewed as someone who could transition seamlessly into television, and Thursday night provided a strong indication that those assumptions were correct. He also discussed his former team and its new head coach.
While discussing what he missed about coaching, Tomlin joked that he did not miss the dorm rooms at Saint Vincent College. He did, however, acknowledge that Mike McCarthy was a “perfect” head coaching hire for the Steelers.
"Mike's perfect for them and they're perfect for Mike. Certainly being a Pittsburgh native, he understands the standard that is Pittsburgh and he'll embrace that. His coaching experience will also allow him to manage that. He's got an awesome resume. Obviously, the confetti has rained down on him before with his current quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Man, there's no substitute for shared success." Tomlin said on Football Night In America.
Steelers Fans Getting Some Closure?
© Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
One of the biggest complaints about Tomlin’s departure among fans on social media was the lack of a press conference. Bill Cowher held his resignation press conference shortly after news broke that he would step down in January 2007. Tomlin’s retirement did not come as a complete surprise, but it still caught many people off guard. He had been the second-longest-tenured coach in Steelers franchise history and, at the time, was the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL. Many expected the Steelers to hold an exit press conference following the 2026 season as well.
Fans got neither a season-ending nor retirement press conference. Perhaps Tomlin singing McCarthy’s praises can provide some closure. If he becomes more comfortable in his television role, as Cowher did with CBS, speculation about his return to football could gradually fade.
Tomlin is a future Hall of Famer who has nothing left to prove. Still, he could eventually get the itch to coach again, much like Sean Payton did.
A New Era for the Steelers Under McCarthy
Tomlin’s comments could be the final step some fans need to accept that the McCarthy era has arrived. It is not going anywhere, either. The changes under McCarthy have been evident throughout training camp, though plenty of questions remain unanswered. Regardless, the Steelers were ready for a regime change. The shelf life of an NFL head coach is limited, and Tomlin was an anomaly after spending 19 years with the same organization.
McCarthy himself is now on his third team despite the success he enjoyed at his previous stops. The difference this time is that McCarthy has landed what he has described as his dream job, and he is not taking over a massive cleanup operation.
The Steelers certainly have some work to do, but their situation is nothing like the ones McCarthy inherited with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. Tomlin leaves McCarthy a playoff-caliber team that has also failed to achieve meaningful postseason success in nearly a decade.
The question now is whether McCarthy can take the Steelers where Tomlin could not for 10 seasons in 2026.
