Will Tom Brady be a success calling NFL games for Fox?
The NFL season is finally right around the corner and while most of the big news surrounding the NFL offseason is about players moving teams, one of the biggest stories this offseason was that Tom Brady the greatest player in league history is heading into the broadcast booth for Fox.
Brady has been making his media rounds all offseason, appearing on multiple podcasts and speaking at conventions discussing his next chapter in life. As NFL fans know Brady is as dedicated to his craft as anyone and is a tireless worker. His love for football and passion for being great should be major assets in the booth, but will Brady’s work ethic on the football field correlate to being entertaining on TV?
I believe there’s reason to be skeptical of Brady in the booth because he does seem robotic at times and was never the most outgoing during his playing days. However in his post playing days Brady has shown he can lighten up when needed and doesn’t seem to take himself as seriously as he did at points in his playing career. Brady seems too dedicated to being great to struggle on such a national stage which is why I believe he will be a good addition to Fox’s NFL coverage.
For Patriots fan’s this year will be a culture shock with no Brady and no Belichick and both making waves in media. Both have the wealth of knowledge and work ethic to be successful in this next career but I believe Brady has the upper hand getting to do his homework on specific games, while Bill will be relied on for more around the league coverage and breakdowns of how franchises are handling different situations.
Brady is set to make his broadcasting debut week 1 with the Cowboys visiting the Cleveland Browns. It should come as no surprise that the Cowboys are getting the national spotlight in week 1 and Brady will be there to call the game. For NFL fans it will be a good chance to hear Brady breakdown Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson and potentially give some insight into Watson’s struggles last season.
During the Patriots-Eagles preseason game the announcing crew may have let it slip that Brady’s first call of a Patriots game would come in week 5 when New England takes on the Miami Dolphins. Obviously Patriots fans will be locked into that game not just to see if Drake Maye has taken the field yet but to get their first look at Brady commenting on the team from the outside. Another wrinkle is that Brady was almost a Dolphin according to many reports because their owner a Michigan alumni wanted to try and get Brady into the organization as the QB and potentially as a part owner.
So while the skeptics are out there around Brady making his broadcast debut this season I believe his football IQ and work ethic will be a great asset in the booth. Fans loved Tony Romo in his first season as a broadcaster but the tune has changed in recent years as he’s become more over the top and gimmicky so Brady will have to try and balance his knowledge with still being entertaining without going over the top.
