Tom Brady has been retired for more than two years now, but he just keeps winning. The NFL rescinded the biggest “Brady Rule” and will now allow the seven-time Super Bowl champion to prepare for games like any other broadcaster.
What is Brady now allowed to do?
Brady is about to begin his second season as the lead analyst for the NFL on Fox. Despite being part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL will allow Brady to participate in production meetings with teams during the week before games he will call.
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During his rookie broadcasting campaign, Brady was barred from the informational sessions with coaches and players because of his ownership stake in a competing team.
The “Brady Rules,” as they were dubbed, also included restrictions on publicly criticizing officials. The future Hall of Famer was also not allowed to attend other teams’ practices during the week. Competitors, most notably Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, did not want Brady sharing any information he may gather with the division-rival Raiders. The Athletic reports those rules will remain in place.
How was Brady’s first season at Fox?
Brady’s first season with Fox received mixed reviews. He reflected on his first season on the Joel Klatt Show, earlier this month. He said he was as prepared as he thought he could be, but went through a learning process.
“There was absolutely nothing that I did that could have prepared me for what I was about to endure. There was a lot of growing pains through the year for me, just in terms of prep and then obviously going on air. And there’s things you messed up. And you make mistakes, probably a lot like being an NFL quarterback,” Brady said. “You think, ‘Hey, I’m prepared and I got it and I practiced.’ And then you go in the real game, your rookie year, and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, it’s a lot different. It’s a lot faster. Where are my eyes? What am I doing?’”
Will those production meetings help in the future?
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Tom Brady is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, holding records for the most career passing yards and passing touchdowns, most playoff wins and Super Bowl appearances.
While Brady was banned from the production meetings last year, he was still getting most of the information. His broadcast partner, Kevin Burkhardt, and other crew members would tell him what was said so he would have talking points during the games. The rollercoaster ride seemed to settle down for Brady as the season progressed.
“By the time I got to the Super Bowl, I was way more comfortable,” Brady said. “It was just a really rewarding year. And it wasn’t perfect by any means, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be perfect. But [I’m] just excited about now going into year two with one year under my belt.”
Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback in the history of the game. He retired in 2023 after playing 23 seasons for both the Patriots and Buccaneers. He signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports in 2022, before he even hung up his cleats. He was approved as a minority owner with the Raiders in October 2024.
The greatest quarterback of all-time is set to make his 2025 season debut on Sept. 7, along with Burkhardt, on Fox’s 1 p.m. ET game between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.
