Tom Brady Jan 1, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) runs off the field after they beat the Carolina Panthers t Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2023-24 season ends, it likely means the end of one of the more popular announcing duos. Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will almost certainly end their two-man booth with the NFC Championship, clearing the way for Tom Brady to make his debut for the NFL on Fox.

Tom Brady: From quarterback to analyst

Brady signed a highly reported 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox in May 2022 to become its top analyst to team with Burkhardt. Since signing the contract, the seven-time Super Bowl quarterback has been laying low for the most part, co-hosting a podcast with Jim Gray and weighing in on the NFL when asked.

How does Greg Olsen feel about Tom Brady?

During what has been in essence a transition period, Greg Olsen has called a Super Bowl and has been taking the news of Brady replacing him with a remarkable sense of humor. He’s also not worried about his future as he finishes his partnership with Burkhardt having called his final game with him on the NFC Championship Game last month.

Who will Tom Brady call games with?

We know that Brady is going to be paired with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. The big question is whether or not Greg Olsen will also be in that booth, making it a three-person team, or if Olsen will go work with a different broadcaster. Some pundits think it will be easier for the former quarterback to transition with another analyst besides him while others think it will create a no-win scenario for both him and Olsen.

How is Tom Brady preparing for his Fox role?

As the days wind down to the start of Brady’s broadcasting career on Fox, the seven-time Super Bowl Champion has been preparing for his eventual debut by talking to a former teammate who works in the Patriots radio booth knowing full well that he’s going to be heavily scrutinized at the outset.

What do other broadcasters think of Tom Brady?

Plenty of well-known broadcasters and former athletes from Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, and Bob Costas to Devin McCourty and Al Michaels have all weighed in giving their opinions on whether Brady will succeed or not. Costas suggested Brady begin in the studio while Buck offered his help to ensure the future Hall of Fame quarterback would hit the ground running.

When will Tom Brady make his first appearance in a Fox booth?

Brady will likely make more appearances on Fox as the 2024 NFL season gets closer. His Fox NFL debut will be during the preseason in August. Whether the NFL will want to showcase that in primetime, we shall see, After that, Brady’s regular season debut will be during what Fox likes to call its “America’s Game of the Week” window at 4:25 p.m. ET.

We don’t have the actual matchups as the NFL will release the season schedule in the spring. Brady’s debut will be highly anticipated. Like Tony Romo’s CBS debut, Brady will not have had any real reps on television before he settles in as Fox’s top NFL analyst. While Romo’s debut in 2017 was well-received, there seems to be some fatigue with viewers.

Will Tom Brady be focused only on broadcasting?

Brady has made it clear that preparing for his analyst role is a top priority and something he doesn’t want to treat like a side gig. However, the former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback has a full plate of activities, companies, and opportunities that will compete for his attention.

Aside from his Fox job, Brady has his “Let’s Go!” podcast on SiriusXM, owns a performance and health brand called TB12, oversees the TB12 Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free post-injury rehabilitation care and training to underprivileged young athletes, executive produces several documentaries and sports shows, is a minority owner in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, is a minority owner and chairman of a new advisory board at English club Birmingham City, and has been named a strategic advisor to Delta Airlines.

That’s a lot of responsibilities beyond the broadcasting booth and all the more reason for NFL fans to wonder if Brady will want to do this long-term. We’ll find out soon enough.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.