In his first season in the Fox broadcast booth, Tom Brady has received about as much criticism as any first-year broadcaster ever has. But just like Brady did as a player, his former teammate turned Fox colleague Julian Edelman expects the seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback to rise to the occasion when the lights are the brightest.
Ahead of the Super Bowl LIX broadcast on Fox, which Brady will call alongside Kevin Burkhardt, Edelman discussed his expectations for his longtime friend during the big game.
Appearing on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning, Edelman outlined how Brady is the perfect man for the job considering how many times he mentally prepared for Super Bowls over his career as a player.
“I guarantee he’s probably going to be very fired up,” Edelman said. “He’s probably going to be imagining himself in those situations. I think it’s going to be a great performance by him because he’s gonna get to show us inside looks to things only he knows Patrick Mahomes is going through.”
On paper, Brady is certainly someone who can provide insight into the preparations and mindset of both Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, perhaps moreso than any other broadcaster given his own experience playing in ten different Super Bowls.
The question, which has been asked constantly throughout Brady’s debut season in the booth, is whether he has grasped how to relay all of his insights to viewers watching at home in a way that is digestible for the casual football fan.
One thing that Brady has going against him, which has also been discussed ad nauseam throughout the season, is Brady’s restrictions to both teams as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Due to his ownership stake, Brady has been barred from meeting with teams ahead of the game, which is a key part to broadcasters’ preparation.
Interestingly, Brady is not the only member of Fox’s team that is preparing for their first Super Bowl. Edelman is also preparing for his first year of Super Bowl coverage on the Fox studio team.
Hopefully for the sake of Fox’s broadcast of the Big Game, both Brady and Edelman rise to the occasion just like they did as players.
