It’s in vogue to cast doubt on how Tom Brady will fare as an NFL analyst. There’s a long history of all-time great athletes struggling in the booth, and given Brady’s guarded public persona, there are legitimate concerns about whether his personality will connect with viewers.
But some people who work in sports TV are confident that Brady will succeed.
making sense of Brady's mysterious broadcasting future
In a recent piece, The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch quotes multiple folks who have participated in production meetings with Brady over the years. They say they were impressed by Brady’s football acumen, and enjoyed his cutting sense of humor.
“Everyone I spoke with said they were impressed by Brady’s ability to communicate football concepts in a clear way,” writes Deitsch. “They all said he was opinionated in those meetings. They described him as someone who could be very funny and occasionally profane and came off like a normal person who simply had an irregular, amazing career and life.”
Brady has shown flashes of his more critical side in recent years, such as when he chastised an unnamed team last year for sticking with “that mother—“ at quarterback instead of signing him in 2020. Earlier this season, Brady lamented there was “a lot of bad football” being played around the league.
One person who’s interacted with Brady in production meetings says they’re confident Brady will prepare and take the job seriously.
As we’ve seen with Tony Romo in recent years, the importance of preparation can’t be overstated.
"My gut reaction is he will be prepared,” said the person. “One big question is you don’t know how critical he will be of other players. That’s always the biggest transition and question for me. But I have seen him be critical in our meetings. He is a likable guy, and I think he’ll be good. Tom has more of a sense of humor than people realize.”
Brady won’t be stepping into the easiest situation with Fox, given Greg Olsen’s impressive performance this season as the network’s top analyst. But with an annually salary of $37.5 million, Brady should have plenty of motivation.
There’s no doubt that his football knowledge is second to none. If Brady takes the job seriously, and shows his personality, he should enjoy an impressive second act.