Carson Palmer adds Mike Tomlin, James Franklin into the mix for USC job

On Monday, former USC quarterback Carson Palmer appeared on the “Dan Patrick Show” and said that Mike Tomlin is a “wild card” for the vacant coaching position at his alma mater if Tomlin “wants out” of his current job with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The former Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler also tossed out James Franklin’s name, inferring that the coaches of “Penn State, Iowa State (Matt Campbell), and Cincinnati (Luke Fickell)” are all in the mix.

Carson Palmer has been included in conversations surrounding #USC next Head Football Coach and he says #Steelers HC Mike Tomlin is a name that could be in the mix. pic.twitter.com/GJpar0cZUy

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 25, 2021

Patrick asked Palmer if Tomlin has “hypothetically been discussed” as a USC candidate.

“I’m sure he has,” Palmer responded. “I think anybody is a potential candidate right now. And that’s what’s so great about the job. It can lure an NFL guy that’s tired of their current situation and worried about, ‘Is Ben Roethlisberger gone? Is he done? Who are we gonna draft?’ Is Mike Tomlin gonna have to start over with a young rookie quarterback? Everybody is on the table seeing as how that job is so big and so coveted.”

Patrick told Palmer he thought that was a spicy nugget of information.

“Is that the first you’ve heard of it?” Palmer asked.

“Yeah,” Patrick replied.

“Uh, oh … whoops,” said Palmer, who added Tomlin would be a “great option for seven, eight, nine years.”

Palmer then stumped for USC as a college coaching option as opposed to LSU, suggesting — accurately — that there is a much easier path to a national championship through USC and the PAC-12 than there is through LSU and the SEC.

Former Steelers executive and one time Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley started this conversation about Mike Tomlin going to the college ranks with a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan. On Wednesday, Whaley said with regard to Tomlin’s coaching future, “Six letters for Steelers fans to be very concerned about … LSU, USC. Think about that. Both institutions can out-pay the Rooneys. Their alumni base has enough money to give Mike Tomlin whatever he wants.”

Upon hearing that, former Steeler and LSU alum Ryan Clark told ESPN Radio 104.5 in Baton Rouge that LSU should offer Tomlin a contract so big that it “would make him disrespectful to Lord Jesus Christ to turn down.”

I can’t see it happening. But Clark is merely guilty of wishful thinking.

Meanwhile, I think Palmer is messing with LSU after Clark’s comments more than he is really suggesting that USC is going after Tomlin.

Oh, and he is messing with the Steelers. I mean he still may be a little salty about a certain incident in January 2006, no?