Mike Tomlin’s first night in the NBC booth came with a little bit of everything: a broadcasting debut, a few misfires, and even a stray shot from Jason Whitlock aimed at Maria Taylor.
Tomlin made his regular-season TV debut on NBC’s “Football Night in America” during the New England Patriots’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday. He joined Taylor on the broadcast, with former Dallas Cowboys head coach and three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Jason Garrett and three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty also part of the crew.
Whitlock took aim at the setup during the telecast, writing on X: “If Maria Taylor had some unique broadcasting skill it wouldn’t bother me so much that they have a woman towering over Mike Tomlin on a football sideline,” Whitlock wrote on X.
Tomlin’s first game as an analyst also included a noticeable slip. He repeatedly called Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba “JNS” instead of “JSN,” and Taylor stepped in with a light correction.
“I’m not going to let you do it again,” Taylor said.
Tomlin also used the broadcast to paint the NFC West in dramatic terms, comparing the division’s competition to “Game of Thrones.” He said the Seahawks are “House of Stark.”
After stepping away from coaching following the 2025 season, Tomlin said he was eager to begin this next chapter with NBC. He described the network as the “gold standard” and said he felt “an unbelievable level of excitement” about the opportunity.
“I just have an unbelievable level of excitement,” Tomlin said. “Not only about the challenge of sharing my love for the game with fellow football lovers but also... being the new guy.
“I've been really blessed in my football life; I was able to spend 19 years with an absolute blue blood organization, and NBC Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football is and has been the gold standard as far as I'm concerned.”
Tomlin is expected to be back on broadcast duty when his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.
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