Fan Reactions Are Mixed on Tom Brady’s NFL Broadcasting Debut
FOR THE FIRST time since 2000, Tom Brady is a rookie again. The seven-time Super Bowl champ (five-time Super Bowl MVP) and three-time NFL MVP made his long-awaited debut as the color commentator in FOX's top broadcast booth alongside Kevin Burkhardt for the Week 1 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns. And, well, things weren't quite as flawless as the 47-year-old's short-to-intermediate passing game used to be.
Just like the NFL's other rookie quarterbacks making their debuts (better days will come for Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders), Brady got off to a bit of a choppy start. "You're a broadcaster! How about that," Burkhardt said to Brady in the pair's first moments on screen, before Brady quickly responded. “We’re here," he said. "It’s been quite a journey. I’m excited to be your partner.”
However, Brady's was a bit awkward, pausing sometimes and moving slowly through his sentences. It's strange to say, but it seems like at least in this one moment, nerves got the best of Tom Brady.
Brady was first announced to be joining FOX as an NFL broadcaster (on a massive 10-year, $375 million contract) back in 2022; he eventually returned to play one last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring for good. He then took the 2023 season off to recharge before making his debut as planned with the 2024 campaign.
Because it's Tom Brady, fans were watching his debut very closely, and, predictably, didn't pull any punches when it came to critiquing his debut. His rocky start and awkward deliveries in particular drew quite a few comments online:
People—Brady himself included—made sure to note that this is all something brand new that is still just being figured out. He could turn out to be great, but it's probably going to take a little bit of time.
Some of his analysis read to viewers at home as a bit pedestrian:
The awkwardness wasn't limited to line deliveries either. When FOX's officiating expert/analyst Mike Pereira appeared on camera for the first time, Brady tried to give him a fist bump... and Pereira didn't notice. "Don't leave me hanging" Brady even offered before the longtime expert looked up, obliged, and gave him a pound. Let's be real—we've all been in TB12's shoes before on that one.
Part of what's playing into all of this too is just how famous Brady is. Everyone's seen him 1,000,000 times, and most people have heard him speak before, whether it's in brief interviews on TV, or commercials, or anything. But that's all in small doses, and we've never heard his voice without seeing him, like as the color commentator for an NFL game, for an extended period of time before. And so that also created something of an adjustment period.
FOX did debut a very cool commercial promoting Brady's debut on the network:
At the end of the day, this is a guy who has proven to be pretty damn good at things that he puts his effort into (and, as a Jets fan, it pains me to admit that). It may have been a choppy start, but things will smooth out—as they already began to in the second half of the Cowboys-Browns game.
And as erratic as his debut may have been, it's always worth considering that at any given moment (as will probably be the case until he's about 70 years old), he's still going to be a better player than a lot of the quarterbacks still playing in the NFL.