For the first time on a Monday afternoon, seven-time Super Bowl champion and recently retired (for a second time) quarterback Tom Brady clarified his future plans to be part of Fox Sports coverage of the NFL.
Brady Drops the Details to Colin Cowherd
Appearing on the Colin Cowherd radio/TV simulcast on Fox Sports 1 cable and Fox Sports Radio network, the 45-year-old former quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and previously the New England Patriots, clarified for the first time that he will not join Fox for the upcoming 2023 football season.
He said instead that he will take time with his family and be ready to join the network for its massively popular coverage of the NFL a year and a half from now.
“Decompression is important….it’s a daily fight. And I have such an appreciation for so many people that are so committed,” Brady told the show.
“I think for me. I want to be great at what I do. You know, talking last week with the people at Fox Sports and the leadership there allowing me to start my Fox opportunity in the Fall of 2024 is something that’s great for me.”
Brady’s Future in Broadcasting
Brady signed a blockbuster 10-year contract with Fox to become their lead football analyst during the 40-day interim of his announced retirement in January 2022. However, he then made his March decision to go back on that retirement and come back to play a third season for the Buccaneers.
That contract was for Brady to join play-by-play man Kevin Burkhart in the booth for Fox’s number one game broadcast every week and was to have included him working the Super Bowl in Arizona, which will now be played this Sunday between the Eagles and the Chiefs.
But, when he chose to play again in 2022, that meant analyst Greg Olsen worked with Burkhart, whom he had been with the previous two seasons. Olsen has blossomed into an enjoyable and informative partner on Fox’s most prominent games. That includes Olson having worked the NFC championship game between the Eagles blowout of the 49ers in just 10 days.
Hear much more on Tom Brady’s revealing of his timeline to join Fox Sports and the latest on media and sports on the Last Word on Sports Media podcast with a new episode out Wednesday:
Brady is also dealing with the aftermath of his divorce from supermodel Gisele Bundchen after 13 years of marriage. The divorce was finalized and announced in October in the middle of what turned out to be his last season in the NFL.
Brady also made clear to Cowherd earlier Monday that it’s important that he spend time with his three children, two having joint custody with Bundchen and the third, an older son, whom he had previously with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Brady announced his second retirement, which he says is for good, last Wednesday after the Buccaneers finished with an 8 and 9 regular season and were beaten by the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
Fox was looking to make a massive impact hire at the time of Brady’s first retirement. This after their 20-year Emmy award-winning analyst, Troy Aikman, elected to leave their network and join ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Subsequently, Fox allowed his Emmy award-winning play-by-play partner Joe Buck to join him and the duo just completed their first season in the Monday night booth.
Olsen had worked with Burkhart in 2021 as Fox’s number two team behind Buck and Aikman.
Brady further acknowledged on Cowherd’s show Monday it was time to get better at broadcasting and imply that there may be practice or mock broadcasts in the near future before beginning with Fox Sports in 2024.
“Take some time to learn, and be really great at what I want to do. Thinking about the opportunity and making sure that I don’t rush into anything…I wanted to be fully committed and I never wanted to let people down. Even in the future, I want to be great at what I do.”
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Brady is regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time finishing his career with the most passing yards, most touchdowns, and Super Bowl victories of any player to have ever gone under center in professional football history.
Main Photo:
Nathan Ray Seebeck – USA TODAY Sports
