NFL legend Tom Brady shoots down rumors he’ll leave Fox Sports TV booth

4 hrs ago

Chris Francis Sports Reporter

By Chris Francis (Sports Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

Tom Brady seems content in the broadcasting spotlight—at least for the time being. One of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history said Wednesday, Jan. 22, that he is not leaving the Fox television booth.

Despite constant speculation concerning his future with Fox Sports and his possible conflicts of interest while becoming a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady put to bed any talk of quitting after his first year calling games.

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“I’ve loved kind of just the whole process and diving into all these different teams. It’s been a lot of growth for me in one year, and I really can’t see –– can’t wait to see what it looks like in year two and way beyond that too,” Brady said during an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “So I got nine years left on my deal, maybe longer. You never know. If Fox wants me and I want to go, we’ll just keep going because it’s been really fun thus far.”

The seven-time Super Bowl champion retired after playing 23 seasons for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He promptly signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports and, at least for now, intends to honor it. Owning a piece of an NFL team has also been a post-playing career goal.

“I wish I could have played football my entire life,” said Brady. “But 23 years was long enough –– I got tired of taking the hits, and I wanted to spend as much time as I could with the kids. Really, being involved with the Raiders gives me an opportunity to be involved with football for the rest of my life. I really love teamwork, I always have, I love seeing other people succeed.”

However, being an owner does bring a few restrictions from the league. It includes being unable to criticize teams and referees. When asked Wednesday about the recent officiating controversy involving the Kansas City Chiefs and whether they are getting favorable treatment during the playoffs, Brady didn’t dodge the issue.

“Who’s protecting the quarterback? We’re trying to say the referee should do it?” Brady told Cowherd. “If you’re running with the ball, you should protect yourself. If you don’t want to get hit, you can go down, you can run out of bounds. But you can’t, in essence, have the defensive player come in at half speed, and then you run over the defensive player because he’s afraid of getting a penalty. I think it’s just a disservice to the game.”

So, get ready for more Brady, the analyst. On Sunday, Jan. 26, he will have his biggest audience to date on Fox Sports when he calls the NFC Championship game between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles.

Tags: Football, Fox Sports, New England Patriots, NFL, Tom Brady

TOM BRADY SEEMS CONTENT IN THE BROADCASTING SPOTLIGHT. AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.
ONE OF THE GREATEST QUARTERBACKS IN NFL HISTORY IS NOT LEAVING THE FOX TELEVISION BOOTH. SO SAYS.. WELL, BRADY HIMSELF. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ON “THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD”.

DESPITE CONSTANT SPECULATION CONCERNING HIS FUTURE IN THE BROADCAST BOOTH AND HIS POSSIBLE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WHILE BECOMING A PART-OWNER OF THE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, BRADY PUT TO BED ANY TALK OF QUITTING AFTER HIS FIRST YEAR CALLING GAMES.

[ “I’VE LOVED KIND OF JUST THE WHOLE PROCESS AND DIVING INTO ALL THESE DIFFERENT TEAMS, IT’S BEEN A LOT OF GROWTH FOR ME IN ONE YEAR. AND I REALLY CAN’T SEE, CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN YEAR TWO AND WAY BEYOND THAT TOO. SO I GOT NINE YEARS LEFT ON MY DEAL. MAYBE LONGER. YOU NEVER KNOW. IF FOX WANTS ME AND I WANT TO GO WE’LL JUST KEEP GOING BECAUSE IT’S BEEN REALLY FUN THUS FAR.”

THE 7 TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION RETIRED AFTER PLAYING 23 SEASONS FOR BOTH THE PATRIOTS AND RETIRED AS A BUCCANEER. HE SIGNED A 10 YEAR, $375 MILLION CONTRACT WITH FOX SPORTS AND AT LEAST RIGHT NOW, INTENDS TO HONOR IT. OWNING A PIECE OF THE RAIDERS HAS ALSO BEEN A POST-PLAYING CAREER GOAL.

“I WISH I COULD HAVE PLAYED FOOTBALL MY ENTIRE LIFE,” SAID BRADY, “BUT 23 YEARS WAS LONG ENOUGH. I GOT TIRED OF TAKING THE HITS. AND I WANTED TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS I COULD WITH THE KIDS. REALLY, BEING INVOLVED WITH THE RAIDERS GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED WITH FOOTBALL FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I REALLY LOVE TEAMWORK. I ALWAYS HAVE, I LOVE SEEING OTHER PEOPLE SUCCEED”

BUT BEING AN OWNER BRINGS WITH IT A FEW RESTRICTIONS FROM THE LEAGUE, LIKE NOT BEING ALLOWED TO CRITICIZE TEAMS AND REFEREES. THAT SAID, WHEN ASKED WEDNESDAY ABOUT THE RECENT OFFICIATING CONTROVERSY INVOLVING THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AND WHETHER THEY ARE GETTING FAVORABLE TREATMENT DURING THE PLAYOFFS. BRADY, SURPRISINGLY, DIDN’T DODGE THE ISSUE.

“WHO’S PROTECTING THE QUARTERBACK? WE’RE TRYING TO SAY THE REFEREE SHOULD DO IT?
“IF YOU’RE RUNNING WITH THE BALL, YOU SHOULD PROTECT YOURSELF. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GET HIT, YOU CAN GO DOWN, YOU CAN RUN OUT OF BOUNDS. BUT YOU CAN’T IN ESSENCE HAVE THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER COME IN AT HALF SPEED AND THEN YOU RUN OVER THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER BECAUSE HE’S AFRAID OF GETTING A PENALTY. I THINK IT’S JUST A DISSERVICE TO THE GAME.”

LIKE HIM ON TV OR NOT, BRADY SEEMS TO BE IN THE BOOTH TO STAY, AT LEAST FOR THE NEAR FUTURE. IN FACT, HE’LL HAVE HIS BIGGEST AUDIENCE TO DATE ON FOX SPORTS THIS SUNDAY, WHEN HE CALLS THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND PHILADELPHIA.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CHRIS FRANCIS