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NBC Overhauls Football Night, Tomlin In; Simms, Dungy Out

4/28/2026

39 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Mike Tomlin Joins NBC

Mike Tomlin joined NBC’s “Football Night in America” on April 26, 2026 to travel to each Sunday night game.
Chris Simms announced on April 27, 2026 that he will no longer appear on the show.
NBC added Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty, Mike Florio and Matthew Berry and will broadcast the program live from the stadium each week.
Tony Dungy also left the program during the offseason overhaul.

Summary

Mike McCarthy Hired

Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy on a five-year contract to replace Mike Tomlin.
Mike Tomlin noted the Steelers have lost seven playoff games and have not won a game since 2016.
Mike Tomlin joked Aaron Rodgers be quarterback, saying “if you got a gun to my head, it’s AR.”
He watched the 2026 NFL Draft from a cigar bar and called Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Chris Boswell “worthy of leadership.”

History

Historical Context

After losing NFL rights in 1997, NBC revived its sports profile by winning the Sunday-night package in 2006, a deal worth about $650 million annually that launched Football Night in America. Building on that foothold, the network refreshed its analyst crew in 2026, adding Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty, Mike Florio and Matthew Berry while veteran Tony Dungy departed.

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Mike Tomlin Joins NBC

Mike Tomlin joined NBC’s “Football Night in America” on April 26, 2026 to travel to each Sunday night game.
Chris Simms announced on April 27, 2026 that he will no longer appear on the show.
NBC added Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty, Mike Florio and Matthew Berry and will broadcast the program live from the stadium each week.
Tony Dungy also left the program during the offseason overhaul.

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