Former Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski Details Tom Brady's 'Unfair' Start in Broadcasting

The former Buccaneers star tight end defended his co-star Tom Brady in his new career.

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; FOX broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady looks on before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

After retiring from the game of football following a three-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Brady hit the broadcast booth. Of course, he spent one year off away from the gridiron to focus on other ventures and aspects of life.

During the 2024 NFL season, Brady was in the booth and it was a big storyline of the season. Given his high-level knowledge of the sport, many expected the seven-time Super Bowl winner — one of which was with the Buccaneers — to be a superstar on the broadcast.

Just like sports or any other trade, learning the craft takes some time. Brady is learning that, yet fans have been quite critical of his performance despite doing it for the first time this season. One of his former co-stars with both the New England Patriots and Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski, recently came to his defense with the "unfair" start to his new career.

In a conversation with RG's Crissy Froyd, Gronkowski shared some public support and backing of his Hall of Fame teammate.

“I love what Tom’s doing. He’s been developing throughout the whole year. He was like a rookie quarterback coming in as the No. 1 pick," Gronkowski said. “A lot of pressure. There’s no doubt about that. I think it was kind of unfair, some of the pressure he was getting at the beginning of the year.

Facing pressure is nothing new for Brady, and he did so plenty over the course of his lengthy NFL career, which was capped with more than a handful of Super Bowl victories. Just like he faced the pressure then, he's doing so in the booth and his progress has been evident.

As Gronkowski alluded to, Brady was a rookie on the call and developed all season -- and will continue to improve into next season.

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