NBC has gone all out to try and stop Mike Tomlin from returning to coach in the NFL.While specific financial details are not known, The Athletics’ Andrew Marchand has reported that the network has “backloaded” Tomlin’s contract in the hopes of incentivizing him to stay.NBC have sent a clear message to Tomlin in his contract structureGetty“He’s been a guy who network executives have been looking at for a long time,” Marchand said on his podcast.“When I’d ask them – probably going back a decade – ‘Who’s No1 on your list? Who is an active either player or coach?’ Tomlin was almost always No1.“NBC snares him, big-money deal, I think a little backloaded, so they want him to stay. That’s an incentive for him to stay.“Could he go back to coaching? He says no, but we’ll see. I think he’ll be under the spotlight.”NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.After failing to make it past the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season, Tomlin stepped away as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach earlier this year after 19 seasons at the helm.The 54-year-old walked away from Pittsburgh with a 193-114-2 all-time record, and a Super Bowl victory in 2008 over the Arizona Cardinals.After leaving his future up in the air, and being tipped for multiple head coaching roles, the news broke that he would be joining NBC’s Football Night in America show as a top studio analyst.The legendary head coach couldn’t help but feel anxious about transitioning to the media world.However, broadcasting debut at the recent Pro Football Hall of Fame game drew rave reviews.Tomlin drew particular praise for how he handled an interview with Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.Tomlin’s contract is ‘backloaded’ according to Marchand, in an attempt to stop him from returning to the sidelinesGettyTomlin never had a losing season as Steelers head coachGettyDespite joking with Maria Taylor that he: “looking forward to going undefeated”, Tomlin didn’t entirely rule out a return to coaching.“I haven’t thought a whole lot about it yet, because I don’t feel like I’m missing anything yet,” Tomlin said.“When those regular-season balls start snapping, that’s when I’ll start getting a little twitch a little bit.” The Steelers are currently in training camp for the first time without Tomlin in a couple of decades.He has given his replacement, former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, his full support ahead of the 2026 season.As part of Sunday Night Football, Tomlin will return to Pittsburgh in Week 13 when the Steelers host the Houston Texans.The Texans knocked Tomlin and the Steelers out of the playoffs in 2025GettyHouston was the team that eliminated Pittsburgh in the 2025 Wild Card round, bringing an end to Tomlin’s 19-year run in the Steel City.Whether NFL front offices attempt to lure Tomlin back to the sidelines remains to be seen, but NBC has made sure that leaving money on the table will be a major part of his decision.