Mike Francesa discussing Tom Brady Photo credit: The Mike Francesa Podcast

As Tom Brady faces questions about calling a divisional playoff game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders this weekend, Mike Francesa is more concerned with his ability to call a Super Bowl.

Brady’s minority ownership with the Las Vegas Raiders has him operating under unprecedented restrictions as an analyst, with the NFL prohibiting him from taking part in production meetings with teams and players. Adding to the unique situation is the fact that Brady will be calling a game this weekend featuring Detroit’s offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who Brady and the Raiders are considering for their head coaching vacancy.

Francesa was asked about Brady’s rookie season and potential trajectory as a broadcaster on his podcast, and the former WFAN icon quickly expressed skepticism about Brady’s ability to properly prepare for Super Bowl LIX alongside Kevin Burkhardt next month on Fox.


“I think his first year in the booth will be his last year in the booth,” Francesa said. “The restrictions Tom is under, and I don’t know how this is gonna work for him at the Super Bowl this year, because I don’t know how he can do his job at the Super Bowl adequately when he cannot be at the other teams’ practices. He cannot meet with any personnel from the other team, coaches, or players.”

Francesa used last week with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the call for the Denver Broncos-Buffalo Bills Wild Card game on CBS as an example. Sean Payton may have been comfortable sharing his potential plans to run a fake punt with Romo, but Francesa wondered if the Broncos head coach would have trusted Brady with the same information.

“These teams understand that these guys as broadcasters are going to carry their responsibility,” Francesa said. “They will not allow Brady to be part of that because of his ownership with the Raiders. He can’t watch practice. Super Bowl analysts watch practice all the time! They watch the teams all the time! They meet with the head coach. They meet with the coordinators. They meet with the quarterbacks, they meet with the star players as they prepare for the game. He doesn’t have any of that! So I think this is short-lived.”

“But he is doing the Super Bowl this year,” Francesa continued. “Although I’d love to hear, and eventually they will have to, Burkhardt will have to explain it, or somebody will have to explain exactly how Tom is going to prepare when he can’t do all the things that a normal analyst does.”

Brady is still just two years removed from playing in the NFL, so he’s very in tune with the teams, coaches, and their game plans. The information Brady needs or wants to know can still be relayed to him even though he isn’t in those meetings. But if Brady finds himself calling games and Super Bowls for Fox five or ten years from now, it might become harder for him to miss out on these meetings as he gets further removed from being in locker rooms and on the field.

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com