Tom Brady to Join FOX Broadcast Crew after Retirement

No one really knows Tom Brady will finally retire, as the star quarterback flirted doing this offseason before deciding to rejoin the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but when he does eventually hang up his cleats, Brady join FOX Sports as its lead NFL analyst, the company announced on Tuesday.

“We are pleased to announce that immediately following his playing career, 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady will be joining us at FOX Sports as our lead analyst,” the company said in a press release

Brady will eventually replace Troy Aikman as FOX’s lead analyst, according to an investor call with CEO Lachlan Murdoch on Tuesday. Aikman and lead play-by-play man Joe Buck left for ESPN earlier this offseason. Brady’s new parter will be Kevin Burkhardt, who will begin calling games for FOX this season.

According to Front Office Sports, Brady’s deal with FOX will be the richest in sports media history. The seven-time Super Bowl champion and 15-time Pro Bowler will earn between $20 and $25 million annually under the deal.

“Excited, but a lot of unfinished business on the field with the Buccaneers,” Brady wrote on Twitter.

Several high-profile quarterbacks are now among the NFL’s top analysts, and the networks have seen an extensive reshuffling of the top talent this offseason.

Tony Romo started the recent trend when left the NFL and went straight to CBS, where he is paired with Jim Nantz as that network’s top pair. 

NBC added Drew Brees in 2021 following his retirement. Brees has worked Notre Dame football along with helping out with NFL coverage and called his first NFL playoff game in January with Mike Tirico, who is replacing Al Michaels alongside Cris Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football this fall.

Michaels is moving to Amazon for that platform’s Thursday Night Football broadcasts this season, where he will work with ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

Buck and Aikman are taking over the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast that included Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese in 2021. Griese took a job as the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach, while Riddick remains a candidate to become the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next general manager.

ESPN is also expected to continue its alternate-feed Manningcast with Eli and Peyton Manning, along with a rotating cast of guests.