Erin Andrews is annoyed with Tom Brady.
Only it’s not for the reasons that co-workers typically get on each other’s nerves, but rather because of how good she believes the 7-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has gotten in his second season as a broadcaster.
While Brady’s debut season for Fox was heavily scrutinized (including by us), most seem to agree that he’s been much more comfortable as the network’s top game analyst in Year 2. And that includes Andrews, who praised her teammate’s year-to-year improvement during a recent interview on New Heights.
“I think he was the most scrutinized person to get into a booth, especially last year, right? And I’m proud of him… everyone has their opinion. And and they let it be known what they thought of him,” Andrews said. “It was funny. I think we were doing Tampa-Eagles Week 4 and I was sitting in my hotel room and they were playing last year’s Eagles-Bucs game. And I texted TB and I just said, ‘wow, listening to you in this game, which was your fourth game of the season versus now, it’s just night and day.’
“I’m not surprised because I think all of us know what his work ethic was going to be heading into the job. I think I’m more annoyed about how good he’s gotten and how quickly. I’m like, come on. Do you do everything well? This is crazy. And you look fantastic.”
Jason Kelce was quick to agree.
“He looks so good,” the former All-Pro center said. “I need to figure out what he’s doing. His hair. His skin.”
“He’s not going to bars, Jason,” Andrews suggested.
“I’m not wiling to give that up,” Kelce replied.
As for the broadcasting, not everybody is a big of a fan of Brady as Andrews is. Still, it would be tough to argue that the 48-year-old former quarterback hasn’t been better in his second season for Fox than he was in his first, when he was criticized for seeming unnatural and offering analysis that many felt missed the mark.
Ultimately, Fox didn’t sign Brady to a 10-year, $375 million contract for his broadcasting ability, but rather his inherent star power. Still, that shouldn’t stop him from improving at his craft, which is exactly what Andrews believes he has done.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.