Tom Brady has been the most interesting man in sports media since signing his 10-year/$375 million deal with FOX in 2022. He offered a peek behind the curtain today while doing a guest spot on The Pat McAfee Show, where he discussed preparing for the role and his fellow FOX colleague Greg Olsen.
During his Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Brady discussed his new brand merger, his football playing career, and his post-retirement life. He also snuck in a little bit of sports media news while doing so — confirming that next year, he will indeed call the Super Bowl for FOX:
Brady then delved deeper into his preparation for his upcoming broadcasting job, crediting others in the field who have helped him improve his skills, saying he could even “write a broadcasting playbook” at this point. Pat McAfee then asked the question on the minds of many sports fans — what is Tom’s relationship with Greg Olsen, the man he’ll replace in September in the FOX Booth?
“Greg’s done an incredible job, I have so much respect for him,” Brady said. “How he approaches his job, he’s super prepared in what he does. I think he does an incredible job every time he’s on, I love listening to him.”
Olsen has been popular among sports media pundits and fans alike, with many praising him for his performance during the recent NFC Championship game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. Some expect Olsen to leave FOX entirely for another network, potentially CBS to replace Tony Romo.
McAfee asked Brady about finding motivation in doubters questioning his move to the booth, comparing it to fellow GOAT Michael Jordan finding motivation in compliments from an opposing coach to win the NBA Finals. Brady understands that there will always be skepticism surrounding people trying new things but says he’s doing his part to be the best broadcaster he can.
“Naturally, there’s skepticism with a lot of different things when you try new areas of growth,” Brady said. “I don’t think naturally I’m going to go in on Day One and have everything figured out, a lot like when I was a rookie in football I’m going to be a rookie on FOX. Fortunately, I’ve got a lot of great teammates who have really embraced me and have opened their arms to help me learn and understand and help me learn exactly what I’m responsible for.”
Brady also said that his year away from football and the booth has been helpful. “I’ve gone out and tried to have my own personality and take on it,” Brady continued. “I think there’s definitely been some improvement over the course of this offseason of broadcasting that I’ve taken off just because I wanted a chance to really dig my feet in and understand exactly how to get good at this as fast as I can, but at the same time, the broadcaster I’m going to be five years from now is going to be hopefully more improved than the one that starts on Day One. I’m going to go in there with the opportunity to start and learn and I’m sure by the end of the year I’ll feel more comfortable.”
For now, Brady isn’t trying to be Olsen or anyone else — just himself. “I’m just going to do the best I can do with my own perspective,” Brady said. “I’ve certainly had a unique vision and perspective of the game for 23 years, and hopefully, I just can provide some insight to all the viewers and fans who love the game and love the sport.”
