Tom Brady is going to join the Fox Sports broadcasting booth as an analyst in 2024, pairing with the network’s top play-by-play man in Kevin Burkhardt.
Right?
After Brady delayed his entry into the booth by a year, many in the industry are skeptical that the future Hall of Famer will ever actually fulfill his 10-year, $375 million contract with the network — and CBS broadcaster Phil Simms recently joined the chorus of doubters.
“I’ve got to see it — or hear it — to believe it,” Simms told Front Office Sports. “I don’t know. I just can’t picture Tom Brady up there announcing games.
“You know why? He’s Tom Brady. He’s just bigger than life…In this day and age, is it worth it for him?”
Perhaps it’s a fair question, as many were surprised when Brady signed the massive deal to become Fox’s lead in-game analyst.
Additionally, Burkhardt’s current broadcast partner, former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, received rave reviews during games the duo announced in 2022 – including the Super Bowl.
Brady, 45, joining Burkhardt would likely bump Olsen down to the second team — or to another network altogether if he is dissatisfied.
Simms spent many years as the top game analyst for CBS before moving to the pregame studio show in favor of Tony Romo.
The Giants’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback seemed to suggest he believed Brady would definitely do something for the network, but that it perhaps wouldn’t be in-game analysis.
“Hey, I think they’ll use him in different ways. I don’t care. I’m going to say he doesn’t do games. They’ll put him on a pregame show and let him talk a little. There’s lots of ways to use him. He’s Tom Brady…He looks good. And he knows a lot of football, that’s for sure. So yes, I think they’ll use him in a different way. I don’t have any insight – and I don’t even care. But I’ll be surprised if he does games. I will be.
“And you know, too, Greg Olsen did a good job this year. That has to make you sit back and wonder. So we’ll see.”
It should be noted that Simms doesn’t work for Fox and doesn’t have any direct ties to the network, so this is all speculation.
Still, it’s an interesting fit for arguably the greatest player in NFL history — and a spicy sports media storyline to watch over the coming year.