Mike Tomlin isn’t hiding his Steelers loyalty. In fact, the new NBC Sports NFL analyst says he won’t apologize for it.
What We Know: Tomlin spent 19 years as Pittsburgh’s head coach before his run ended after the 2025 season. Since then, he has moved into television as an NFL analyst with NBC Sports. During his first season on air, some critics have accused Tomlin of showing Steelers bias. However, in an interview with New Heights with Travis & Jason Kelce, Tomlin admits he won’t apologize for showing some favortism towards his former employer of nearly two decades.
What They Said: Mike Tomlin on showing bias towards the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC Sports (via New Heights w/Travis & Jason Kelce): “To be honest with ya, I don’t care if I do. How can you be somewhere 19 years, and had really a personal stake in most of the guys being there and not care for them? Not root for them? Not be for them? I’m not gonna pretend that I’m not. I can’t do that. Certainly, I got a job to do and I’m gonna do it. But everybody knows where my heart is and where my support is, and I’m not apologizing for that.”
What Remains Unclear: It remains to be seen how NBC Sports will handle segments involving Pittsburgh if Tomlin is involved. Whether or not NBC Sports will take a pattern that reportedly follows ESPN working with Jason Kelce on eliminating “we” from analysis remains to be seen.
What It Means: Ultimately, Tomlin is betting that honesty plays better than forced neutrality. After all, viewers know his history, so pretending otherwise could ring hollow. Moreover, his candor fits a broader trend of former coaches bringing personality to TV. For NBC Sports, that authenticity could be an asset, as long as his analysis stays sharp.
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