Tom Brady will be a better NFL broadcaster than Tony Romo for exactly the same reasons he was a better quarterback than Romo, according to Brady’s new Fox colleague Colin Cowherd.
Comparing the newest QB to join the NFL analyst fray to his predecessor in the space, Cowherd explained that Brady’s diligence and preparation on the field will translate perfectly to the broadcast booth. While at the same time, Romo is slipping for exactly the same reasons he always seemed to fall a bit short with the Dallas Cowboys.
“The criticism of (Romo) could be he’s a little loose, sometimes not quite buttoned-up, don’t always feel like he’s completely prepared,” Cowherd said. “Fair or not, that’s the criticism from media people who monitor this stuff.”
And Cowherd pointed out that CBS executives seem to agree that Romo has lost a step. Brady, on the other hand, figures to get better with time.
“Brady is very much the opposite,” Cowherd explained. “He won’t be predicting plays early and get a lot of attention for that. That’s not his personality, that’s not his style. He will get better over the course time, and he will be highly conscientious, super prepared. And I think over the course of time, you will appreciate him.”
That’s exactly what happened at Michigan and with the New England Patriots. Brady bloomed as he got more reps. He aged into greatness.
“I’m going to be patient with Brady,” Cowherd added. “I thought people got a little too hyperbolic early on Romo calling plays. I thought it was fun, but that can’t define you. What are you going to do, call 50 percent? That’s tough. I think Tony brings in a pretty good energy, he’s fun … but his playing and his broadcasting feel the same to me, and I think that’s what you’ll get with Brady.”
Big picture, Brady and Romo work for different networks. It doesn’t necessarily matter which one is “better” or preferred by the average viewer. But to Cowherd’s point, it can teach us something about the game and how we think about its greatest players.
When Romo was hired, CBS valued his personality and energy. Brady is certainly famous, but Fox will have to be patient. Since the company let him wait a year to enter the booth, all indications are they will be.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.