Tom Brady's first season as an NFL broadcaster will be under an incredibly strong microscope. He is Tom Brady, after all. Everything he does is of great interest to the general public. But as the former quarterback knows well, there are no bright lights quite like that of the NFL.
In part due to his status, in part due to the enormity of the contract Fox Sports gave him, and in part because he's replacing a widely-liked analyst in Greg Olsen, every single thing Brady says on FOX broadcasts this season will be broken down and examined to the core. There will be many lengthy columns written to judge the minutiae of Brady's skills as a color commentator. And many people will read them.
But for most, opinions on Brady will come down to a handful of viral clips that circulate on social media platforms over the next 17 weeks and into the playoffs. These clips could be good or bad, but either way they'll inform the larger audience of Brady's current status as an announcer until there are north of 20 million pairs of eyes on him in the postseason.
Here, we'll break down those clips. It will serve as a window into how Brady performed in his most recent appearance and a barometer of his progress as the season goes on.
Best
This week Brady called one of his old teams playing against a familiar opponent: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. He had his best game as a broadcaster yet— or, at the very least, his best individual moment.
Through the sheer brilliance of the FOX production crew, Brady was asked in the middle of the first quarter about recent comments made by Baker Mayfield suggesting the Bucs didn't have fun playing football with Brady under center.
It's an odd thing to bring up during a game for most broadcasters but one of Brady's current strengths is his proximity to his playing career and how recently he suited up on the field. A good idea that turned great when Brady flashed some of the fire that defined his football persona and sniped right back at Mayfield: "This wasn't daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I'd go to Disneyland with my kids."
Tom Brady claps back at Baker Mayfield over his claim that the Buccaneers didn't "have as much fun" under him as they currently are with Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/J86Qyaecid
— The Comeback NFL (@TheComebackNFL) September 29, 2024
It was even better that Kevin Burkhardt pushed him to further elaborate. The initial quote went viral because it's feisty and a truer version of the Brady the world saw on the field for 20 years than we've seen yet in the booth. And his honest explanation gave truly unique insight into the mind of the greatest competitor in NFL history. There are many other parts to being a good broadcaster but for Brady, this is what people are tuning in to hear.
Great work by Fox Sports to have Brady address the matter this way and good on Brady for not soft-pedaling his answer in an effort to avoid any possible awkwardness with a former player.
Bad
The real "bad" of the day came from the Eagles, who laid such an egg against the Bucs that there wasn't really much for Brady to do up there. One thing that did go right for Philly was blocking an extra point attempt, which was returned by Kelee Ringo for two points.
On the call, Brady reverted hard into fan mode. He yelled "LATERAL IT" in the middle of the return and yelped incoherently when Ringo came *this close* to stepping out of bounds, but did not. It was a pretty funny moment. Did any of you know his voice could get that high?
BLOCK.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 29, 2024
RETURN.
+ 2. @rodgers_isaiah | @KeleeRingo pic.twitter.com/9dSa5MYo7t
However, it does fall into the "Bad" category because the primary job of the analyst in the booth is to not be in fan mode. Overall it's a positive development, given the big problem from Brady's early showings has been his rigidity and dedication to sticking to the script rather than letting loose a bit. But in the future in moments like these Brady will want to either have a quick analysis note ready or just let Burkhardt cook.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best & Worst of Tom Brady in the NFL Broadcast Booth: Week 4.
