Heading into the Super Bowl this past February, the messaging regarding Tom Brady’s future in broadcasting appeared to have been solidified.
His future Fox play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt praised the 7-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback’s preparations. Brady himself confirmed he remained in line to become Fox’s top NFL analyst. And even his CBS counterpart, Tony Romo, spoke glowingly regarding the 46-year-old’s future in the industry.
But with the 2024 NFL season two months closer, Brady’s future in the Fox booth seems slightly less certain. While the plan is still for him to join Burkhardt on Fox’s A-team next season — which will culminate with the duo calling the Super Bowl — it raised more than a few eyebrows when the three-time MVP told the DeepCut with VicBlends podcast that he’s still open to a potential return to the playing field.
“I’m not opposed to it,” Brady said. “I don’t know if they’re going to let me if I become the owner of an NFL team. But I don’t know — I’m always going to be in good shape, always be able to throw the ball. To come in for a little bit like [Michael Jordan] coming back, I don’t know if they’d let me, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
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Brady might have only been answering a hypothetical question, but he doesn’t exactly sound like somebody ready to fully focus on the next phase of his career. From the start, his relationship with Fox was seemingly an odd one, as you rarely see a player of his caliber in any sport — of which there admittedly are few — calling games in the broadcast booth.
It’s also worth noting that the analyst Brady is expected to replace, Greg Olsen, has yet to announce any future plans at Fox or elsewhere. While his comments on the DeepCut podcast alone are hardly enough to question Brady’s broadcasting future, they reinforce the notion that such skepticism is justified.
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.