Patriots Country

Fox Skips Tom Brady for Patriots Regular Season Finale

Fox makes a surprising call, benching Tom Brady for the Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots and rolling with its No. 2 broadcast team instead in Week 18 late slot showdown game.
Jhelum Mehta|
Dec 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Fox broadcaster Tom Brady is seen prior to the game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Fox broadcaster Tom Brady is seen prior to the game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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New England Patriots

The New England Patriots already have the AFC East locked up, but don’t get it twisted, Week 18 is far from a throwaway.

New England closes the regular season at Gillette Stadium against the Miami Dolphins, a division rival coming off a gritty 20–17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Pats, meanwhile, are firing from all engines after smashing the New York Jets 42–10 in Week 17.

Seeding, momentum, and bragging rights are all on the table as these two AFC East foes square off in the regular-season finale. Kickoff is set for 4:25 PM ET on Fox. 

Fox Pulls a Shock Move for Week 18

As the New England Patriots gear up for their Week 18 showdown with the Miami Dolphins, Fox dropped a bit of broadcast curveball. Despite this being one of the network’s marquee 4:25 p.m. games, Fox Sports is keeping its lead analyst Tom Brady out of Foxborough.

Instead, Fox is rolling with its No. 2 crew of Joe Davis and Greg Olsen. Dolphins insider Barry Jackson broke the news on X.

"Though Dolphins-NE is potentially Fox's most significant 4:25 p.m. game Sunday, Fox is opting to send No. 2 team Joe Davis and Greg Olsen to the game instead of having lead analyst Tom Brady return to Foxborough," he wrote.

On the field, the Patriots still have real skin in the game. New England has a path to the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but they’ll need help. Specifically, a Denver Broncos loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, to make it happen.

Given how hot Drake Maye is right now, some Pats fans might want head coach Mike Vrabel to wrap his QB in bubble wrap until the playoffs. Maye was nuclear in Week 17, throwing five touchdown passes in a 42–10 demolition of the New York Jets.

And it wasn’t just stat-padding. In that game, Maye matched two of Brady’s franchise records, passed him in another key category, and added a league-wide record for good measure. All in Year 2. If that’s not a loud announcement that the torch has officially been passed in Foxborough, it’s hard to know what is.

The Patriots are AFC East champs and playoff-bound. The only unanswered questions now are seeding. And who wants to deal with a red-hot New England team that just capped the regular season with a perfect 8–0 road record.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!

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Jhelum Mehta
JHELUM MEHTA

Jhelum Mehta is a writer at On SI. She started her journalism career in 2023, and she has previously worked with EssentiallySports, FandomWire, and PFSN, gaining valuable experience across multiple sports beats. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in Psychology, Jhelum brings a thoughtful, people-centric approach to her storytelling. A big admirer of Patrick Mahomes, she draws inspiration from his commanding persona and his unwavering belief that he’s built to conquer every challenge. This mindset often shapes Jhelum's own style and perspective as a writer. When she’s off the desk, you’ll most likely find her lost in a mystery novel, enjoying stories that keep her guessing from start to finish.

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