NBC interrupted its NBA Playoffs coverage between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics to announce former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin joining Football Night in America
23:15 ET, 26 Apr 2026Updated 23:15 ET, 26 Apr 2026
An NBC Football Night in America announcement was made during the middle of the NBA Playoffs
The NBA Playoffs usually spotlight the league’s most elite athletes playing high-stakes basketball, but NBC decided a breaking football story was big enough to interrupt postseason coverage.
NBC/Peacock didn’t wait for a commercial break and, in the middle of Game 4 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, carved out a portion of NBA Showtime on Peacock to announce former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin as the network’s newest on-air talent. It came after ABC abruptly cut its playoff coverage for a special report on a shocking event.
Maria Taylor’s basketball breakdown quickly turned into a full-on interview after she introduced Tomlin as the newest addition to Football Night in America. The program debuted in 2006 and features Taylor alongside Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms, and Devin McCourty. Another analyst on NBC is set to lose his job after Tomlin’s arrival.
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Taylor also revealed that the show will evolve into a traveling production every week throughout the season. Tomlin made it clear he’s embracing the career change after spending the last 19 NFL seasons in Pittsburgh.
“Hey, I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to learning from you,” he said to Taylor. When asked about the timing of his decision, Tomlin hinted that he hadn’t approached it without extensive thought.
“You know, it’s probably not an overnight decision, but it’s probably not something that I could articulate or share with people. It just there’s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me personally,” he said.
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Tomlin added that the Steelers’ recent playoff struggles and the presence of veteran leaders made the transition feel right for both sides.
Pittsburgh has crashed out in the Wild Card round in five of the last six seasons – and in the other (2022), they didn’t make the playoffs at all.
“I just thought it’d be a great way to stay connected to the game and the awesome people in it,” he continued. “Players, coaches, executives, and excited about doing that on Sunday night and traveling to different venues and getting that feel for the environment.”
Mike Tomlin’s NBC NFL role eclipsed the NBA Playoffs
Football Night in America, set to become a weekly road show, will bring the broadcast closer to stadium atmospheres across the league. The move follows a proven format, similar to ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.
Tomlin even explained how different life already feels away from the sideline and admitted he watched his former team draft offensive tackle Max Iheanachor in Round 1 of the NFL Draft from a cigar bar for the first time in ages.
Iheanachor’s draft moment went viral for the wrong reasons after a family member’s pants fell down as his name was called.