Mike Tomlin seems to be settling in just fine in the broadcast booth, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with coaching. His blunt takes and no-nonsense personality have made him a popular addition to NBC, yet the chance to return to the sidelines could be difficult to pass up.

Well, the Carolina Panthers might be hoping to give him just that opportunity. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently linked Tomlin to Carolina, claiming owner David Tepper would love to bring him in as head coach. However, getting him out of the broadcast booth won’t come cheap, as Florio believes the Panthers would have to pay at least $30 million a year to make it happen.

Panthers’ Rumored Interest in Mike Tomlin Has Analysts Talking

“The one to watch most closely is the Panthers,” Florio wrote after also mentioning the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles as possible suitors. “Owner David Tepper, who previously owned a piece of the Steelers, is widely believed to be very interested in Tomlin.

“And it surely will require the shattering of the piggy bank to get Tomlin. With the top of the coaching market in the range of $25 million annually, it’ll likely take $30 million (or more) annually to even get his attention.”

Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Fillipponi shared Florio’s comments from 93.7 The Fan, where the analyst discussed Carolina’s potential interest in Tomlin.

“Report: The Panthers might be dying to hire Mike Tomlin this offseason… Florio says the Panthers would offer him $30 million a year!!!” Fillipponi wrote.

Reporter Mike Asti added to the speculation, suggesting that Tepper’s interest in Tomlin is hardly a new development. According to Asti, the Panthers owner has had his eye on the former Steelers coach for quite some time.

“Tepper’s interest in Tomlin is no secret. I’ve had someone in Charlotte media tell me he would do whatever and pay whatever necessary to get Tomlin every time I’ve been in the Bank of America press box in recent years,”Asti tweeted.

Amid the growing speculation, former journalist Ray Eckenrode suggested the Panthers should get ahead of the competition and pursue Tomlin before the offseason.

“Why wait until the offseason and compete with every other suitor for Tomlin? Trade for his rights now,”Eckenrode wrote.

Despite the growing talk about a possible return to coaching, Tomlin says he hasn’t given it much thought yet.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor shared his comments from an NBC Sports conference call on Wednesday, where Tomlin also spoke about enjoying his new job and the challenges that come with it.

“Haven’t given one iota of thought about coaching. I’m sure that’ll come up in the not-so-distant future, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,”Tomlin said, per Pryor.

Steelers writer Joey Bray also felt Tomlin’s answer left the door open for a possible return to coaching.

“This is actually a very interesting quote from Tomlin. He’s certainly going to have some interest from teams this offseason,”Bray wrote.

Tomlin stepped down in January after 19 seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach, following a 30-6 wild-card playoff loss to the Houston Texans. He left the team with an impressive 193-114 record and famously never had a losing season. He led the Steelers to two Super Bowls and won one ring.

It remains to be seen whether Tomlin will get the itch to coach again when teams come calling this offseason. On the “New Heights” podcast, it’s worth noting that Tomlin didn’t sound like someone who misses coaching. “It got out of my system pretty quickly, to be honest with you, man,” Tomlin said. “How can you not enjoy free time and no geographical boundaries? You know what I mean? This part-time work, full-time pay certainly is (easier than coaching)… Life is good, brother.” If he does decide to coach again, perhaps the biggest question may be whether a team is willing to approach the $30 million-plus annual salary Florio believes it would take to get Tomlin’s attention.