Steelers’ Cameron Heyward predicts Mike Tomlin will be next John Madden in new NBC gig

Expectations are high for Mike Tomlin with his new NBC gig, and his former Pittsburgh Steelers player, Cameron Heyward, will be watching closely.

Speaking to Judy Battista, Heyward shared his excitement for seeing Tomlin in the studio. He is expecting him to become the new John Madden, the gold standard for broadcasters.

“He’s gonna kill it,” Heyward confidently said. “He’s gonna have a lot of fun. I’ve always enjoyed his meetings, and so when he’s going to present, the viewership is gonna be amazing. He knows how to connect with everybody; you could see that even when he was on Hard Knocks.”

Had a blast catching up with @CamHeyward about what the Steelers should in the draft, a certain QB, all those Buckeyes and his fear of traffic during the draft. From The Insiders on @nflnetwork. pic.twitter.com/hhQJ9PEvA3

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) April 23, 2026

He then dropped the bombshell, saying Tomlin could “be a guy who resembles John Madden,” a compliment that he doesn’t casually throw around.

“So now that you provide a bigger platform for him to talk about the game, he’s gonna be a guy who resembles John Madden, and I don’t use that just to say it,” he predicted.

That is high praise for someone who doesn’t have a lot of broadcasting experience. However, Tomlin was the embodiment of consistency while with the Steelers, and that bodes well for his broadcasting career.

Mike Tomlin just landed his gig with NBC after his exit from the Steelers

On Apr. 21, 2026, it was reported that Tomlin has signed with NBC as a “top studio analyst.” He joins their Sunday Night Football pregame show, Football Night in America.

He fills a void created by the exit of Tony Dungy, another former NFL coach. He will be in the studio alongside the likes of former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty, whom NBC has yet to re-sign. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Matthew Berry are also expected to contribute.

Tomlin has been a highly-touted prospect by networks since he re-signed from the Steelers in January 2026. At one point, Fox was the favorite to land him due to his close relationship with the network’s NFL insider, Jay Glazer.

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