Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady will, starting in September, become the No. 1 analyst at Fox, nudging Greg Olsen out of the top booth.
Some have wondered whether Brady will actually do it. In the latest edition of his Let’s Go! podcast on SiriusXM, Brady sounded as if the plan remains to join Fox for the 2024 season.
“I’ve got a big broadcasting job that’s going to start in September,” Brady said. “I’m already working hard on trying to make sure I’m ready for that opportunity, and I’m prepared mentally and emotionally for that challenge. Because it is a challenge. It’s something that’s new, it’s outside of my comfort zone. And I’m excited to get out there and try something and see how I do.
“But it’s got to be about what my preparation is and what my work ethic is. And hopefully a lot of the things that I’ve done in my career have prepared me for that. And there’s an exciting part about that for me, which when I get out of bed in the morning, man, I’m ready to go. And I wanna create a to-do list. And, OK, these are the things I’m gonna do today and this is how I ultimately want to actualize my potential in this area of my life.”
There’s no doubt about Brady’s willingness to put in the work. The question is whether he’ll be any good when it’s time to make an insightful point quickly. Also, how will he deal with the inevitable criticism on social media?
No matter how well he objectively does, there will be critics. Know-it-alls. Accounts with no profile picture and fewer followers than numbers in the handle spewing venom at anything/everything he says.
Will he have rabbit ears? Will he see it and ignore it? Will it affect him?
Those are just some of the questions to ponder as the countdown continues to a job that reportedly will pay Brady $37.5 million per year. Given that it pays him $37.5 million per year — and that it also will give him one of the highest profiles in the sport — it’s hard to imagine Brady not going through with it. Whether his total time in the job is closer to one year than the full 10-year duration of his contract remains to be seen.