Mike Tomlin opens up about Mike McCarthys Steelers expectations during his NBC debut

Mike Tomlin passed the proverbial torch in Pittsburgh during the debut of his new role on “Football Night in America” ahead of Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game. Tomlin coached the Steelers for 19 seasons before he stepped down in January after his team was eliminated from the playoffs.Pittsburgh hired former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy to take over.

The Super Bowl-winning coach endorsed the hiring and said that McCarthy is “perfect for them, and they’re perfect for Mike.” “Certainly, being a Pittsburgh native, he understands the standard that is Pittsburgh, and he’ll embrace that,” Tomlin said on NBC.“His coaching experience will also allow him to manage that.

He’s got an awesome résumé.Obviously, the confetti’s rained down on him before with his current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

“There’s no substitute for shared success.”Tomlin is a hard act to follow in the Steel City, having helped Pittsburgh win a Super Bowl in 2009 when it defeated the Cardinals.He also never had a losing season as head coach. Tomlin said his replacement is “positioned to do well” and compared the Steelers and their fans’ hunger for a title to that of the Knicks, who just ended a 53-year drought in June. “When you’re running knee-deep into the playoffs, but you don’t get to your desired destination, there’s some expectations that come with transition,” Tomlin said.

“Certainly, he’s got a little bit of that, but Mike has been around before.I’m more interested in how [new Bills coach] Joe Brady handles that.”Praising McCarthy wasn’t the only thing that Tomlin did on his TV debut. He also did a little politicking for Hines Ward, who played for the Steelers for 14 seasons (1998-2011), to get into the Hall of Fame, touting his “Hall of Fame numbers” of 1,000 career receptions, more than 12,000 receiving yards and 85 touchdowns. Tomlin said that “beyond the statistics, man, it was his style of play.”“This guy was...