PITTSBURGH — There is plenty of debate about where Mike Tomlin ranks among NFL head coaches. I have him No. 3, behind only Bill Belichick and Andy Reid. CBS Sports released its list this week and had Tomlin No. 10 behind such unproven coaches as Sean McVay and Sean McDermott and far behind contemporaries Sean Payton and John Harbaugh. That list strikes me as being ridiculous, but it probably seems generous to Tomlin's many critics. Some would put him at — how many teams are there in the league? — No. 32.
But there is no argument about where Tomlin ranks as a potential broadcasting superstar.
You know, the next Tony Romo.
Or, going back, the next John Madden.
"My No. 1 guy, but he's way too successful, would be Mike Tomlin. I think Mike Tomlin would be phenomenal. He has a way of phrasing things that is so unique and so vivid, and he's obviously a smart guy and obviously he knows the game inside and out. I think Mike would be a real star if he ever wanted to do it. He'd be my No. 1 guy."
That was Fred Gaudelli in January 2011, right before Tomlin and the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, two years after they had beaten the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Gaudelli was and still is a heavyweight in the broadcast business, the long-time executive producer of "Sunday Night Football" on NBC.
Just to show you that some things never change, this was Gaudelli to The Athletic this month:
"Tomlin, to me, he would be transformational. I mean, he's got a language all of his own that everybody can understand. He's got a really expressive personality. You'd want him in the studio so you could see him more, but I think he'd be equally good on a game. If you said to me you can take one guy out of the league right now, it's not even a hard call. It's Mike Tomlin."
Gaudelli explained why Romo is so successful in the booth and why Tomlin would be:
"I think quarterbacks and head coaches have the advantage because they have to know what everyone does. They have to know clock management, they have to know how to play at the end of a game and they have to know how all those things work intuitively to be good players or good coaches. Those are really the only two positions that require that kind of knowledge."
It's hard to imagine Tomlin following Romo any time soon.
Sorry, Tomlin detractors.
The Steelers just gave Tomlin a three-year contract extension through the 2024 season. Art Rooney II clearly believes in Tomlin more than many of the team's fans. I applauded the extension. I hope Tomlin sticks around for a long time.
Those closest to Tomlin describe him as the ultimate football junkie, a coach who loves every aspect of the game. He would miss the thrill of competition and the satisfaction of building a successful team in the broadcast booth. He already has 14 years in as Steelers head coach despite being just 49. I can see him coaching until he's 65. He is headed to the Hall of Fame.
But one day down the road? After Tomlin gets tired of the pressure from the coaching grind?
Romo makes $17 million a year from CBS. Tomlin won't be able to turn that down, right?
Or maybe Tomlin will.
The final words here are from Gaudelli, who told The Athletic that he told Tomlin he has a broadcasting job waiting for him.
"He told me, 'Fred, I'm never going to the dark side.' "
