Patriots Legend Tom Brady Already Preparing for Fox Sports Job
Get ready for another winter of speculation regarding a Tom Brady comeback.
Whether the football world likes it or not, the process of turning Brady into Fox Sports' primary color commentator for the network's most valuable NFL games has begun. The former New England Patriots quarterback took viewers behind the scenes of the potential transition during a Tuesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," revealing that he's beginning to build chemistry with play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt.
USA TODAY SPORTS
“I’ve been out to Fox Studios a few times and done some really dry runs with Kevin, who’s tremendous at what he does," Brady told McAfee. "I’m super excited to join an amazing team."
After a year off, Brady is set to finally join the Fox booth to begin his 10-year, $375 million contract bestowed to him upon retirement from the NFL. That payday raised eyebrows considering Brady's lack of broadcasting experience and further consternation has surfaced considering the fact that it's almost deja vu all over again as the former New Englander prepares to switch careers.
Much like the way he replaced fan favorite Drew Bledsoe in 2001, Brady is set to take over for another well-received legend of the craft, Greg Olsen. The former Carolina Panthers tight end has received positive reviews for his performance as an analyst since he and Burkhardt respectively took over Fox's booth after the departure of longtime duo Troy Aikman and Joe Buck in 2022.
It's probably of little consolation to Olsen, but Brady did offer strong praise for his efforts if this is truly the end of his Fox tenure.
“I think Greg’s done an incredible job," Brady said. "I have so much respect for him, how he approaches his job. He’s super prepared in what he does, I think he does an incredible job every time he’s on, I love listening to him."
If and when he dons a Fox Sports headset for the first time, Brady will be far from the only former Patriot narrating Sunday affairs: his former passing targets Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski were part of Fox's studio coverage while Devin and Jason McCourty each called games on the radio for Westwood One. There's a chance that Brady's ultimate companion, former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, could join him on Fox's airwaves, as television appears to be his optimal route after failing to find a new job on the sidelines.
