Tom Brady’s NFL broadcast debut is still more than two weeks away, yet the predictions on how he’ll do as Fox’s lead NFL analyst have been extremely predictable.
Drew Bledsoe bucked that trend with a little humor Wednesday morning during an appearance on Good Morning Football. Bledsoe, of course, inadvertently set the stage for Brady’s storybook career in 2001. The New England Patriots franchise quarterback entering that season, Bledsoe suffered a brutal injury in a game, with the second-year QB Brady taking over and… well… you know what happened from there.
These days, Brady is getting set for his broadcast debut, and Bledsoe is busy as a vintner and philanthropist. But during his GMFB appearance Wednesday, Bledsoe gave his thoughts on Brady’s new role with Fox.
By now, fans have seen plenty of those predictions on Brady’s prospects. They all sound as if they were written by a marketing firm for NFL on Fox.
Tony Romo on Brady: “Tom’s gonna do great. He’s working as hard as anybody.”
Howie Long: “People are going to tune in for Tom … I’m mesmerized by him.”
Ryen Russillo: “I think he might be awesome.”
Skip Bayless: “Tom Brady will soon become … one of the greatest NFL analysts of all time, if not the greatest.”
You get the picture. Everyone predicts huge success for the legendary former quarterback. And Bledsoe agreed… although he couldn’t resist getting a little dig in at his former teammate.
“When (people) talk about broadcasters and whether they succeed or fail, it’s the guys that do the work that are great at it,” Bledsoe said. “It’s really that simple… I know that Tommy will work it to death.
“I will get kind of tired of his squeaky a** voice, but I know he’ll do a great job calling the games.”
Drew Bledsoe on Tom Brady as a broadcaster: “I know that Tommy will work it to death. I will get kind of tired of his squeaky ass voice, but I know he’ll do a great job calling the games.” https://t.co/iiMaZ6xJWy pic.twitter.com/qqhj0L6adQ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 21, 2024
Surely, Bledsoe didn’t get that gentle dig in at Brady as payback for taking his job all those years ago. No, Bledsoe apparently doesn’t hold grudges like that, because in that same GMFB appearance, Bledsoe also praised the work ethic and preparation of CBS analyst Tony Romo. That brings to mind the fact that Romo got his break as the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback when he replaced the struggling starter, Bledsoe, in 2007.
Quite the coincidence for Bledsoe, to be replaced at quarterback by two future No. 1 NFL network analysts.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.