Many people are taking a “believe it when I see it” approach toward Tom Brady’s supposed future as a game analyst for Fox.
Fox is slated to pay Brady $375 million for his services as their lead NFL analyst, but there remains a sentiment of doubt within the industry as to whether we’ll ever see the seven-time Super Bowl champion in the booth. This week, the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand spoke about Brady’s future with Fox on his podcast alongside John Ourand and alleged the will he, won’t he meter is starting to point toward won’t.
CLIP: Brady Meter to call Fox games moves to 49-51
POD: https://t.co/GRXSlndqUx pic.twitter.com/hYtPVz90aL
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) May 3, 2023
“It was at 51 percent that he’s going to do it to 49 percent, with the reasoning it’s so much money he’ll try it for a year,” Marchand said. “However, I’ve talked to a couple people recently close to Brady and I kind of feel like I’m going more 49 percent chance he does it, 51 percent chance he doesn’t. I don’t think he wants travel that much — obviously he’s going to go private. I think Brady’s a guy who if he’s in, he’s all-in, so he’s not going to be showing up day of games like Joe Buck and Aikman do sometimes, he’s going to be there early if he’s going to do it. So it’s going to be a four-day event, again, cry me a river for that type of money for five and a half months.”
Buck and Aikman took a bit of a stray there over the assumption Brady wouldn’t arrive for a broadcast day of game on occasion. Despite the “all-in” narrative that surrounds Brady, his level of commitment was questioned at times last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, especially after he missed a team walkthrough to attend Robert Kraft’s wedding.
Marchand shifting the odds on Brady’s future at Fox from 51 to 49 percent isn’t exactly the hot take of the century, but it shows continued skepticism over the seven-time Super Bowl winner relegating his future to the broadcast booth.
Last year, there were reports Fox would attempt to use Brady as part of its Super Bowl LVII coverage, but that failed to materialize. Joining Fox seemed imminent again after Brady announced his retirement from the NFL in February, but he decided on taking a gap year to privately practice being a broadcaster instead.
Marchand isn’t alone in being skeptical over Brady’s future at Fox. Joe Buck has said he knows people at Fox who believe Brady may never call a game for the network. And after the retired quarterback told Colin Cowherd of his plans to officially join Fox in 2024, the Fox Sports Radio host later shared he was hearing doubt about Brady’s career as a broadcaster ever getting started. Or maybe, all this skepticism is exactly what Brady needs to enter the booth as a “scathing” analyst with a giant chip on his shoulder.
[The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast]
