Even as Tom Brady enters his first postseason and gets ready to call his first Super Bowl as a TV analyst in three weeks, rumors about his future continue to swirl, which frustrates Fox Sports.
Brad Zager, Fox Sports’ president of production and operations, understands the attention Brady and the network are getting. However, Zager emphasized that Brady is committed to his new role.
“The whole group that said he would never be there then turned into, he’s not going to stay there. It’s just a never-ending, merry-go-round of people trying to come up with the next narrative,” Zager said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Friday.
“Tom has done nothing but be engaged with us every time he’s asked about broadcasting. When he was retired and getting in, getting ready, he talked about how excited he was for it, that he was 100% and has never wavered on that. So the fact that there are people on that crew that have to read articles and narratives and predictions that Tom isn’t engaged does wear on you.”
Zager’s comments on Friday were the first about Brady from anyone at Fox Sports. Brady hasn’t been available for media interviews this season. He has spoken about his first year in the booth during appearances on Colin Cowherd’s FS1 show.
Brady’s agent, Don Yee, spoke with Sports Business Journal on Thursday and shared that Brady “has had a tremendous amount of fun working with Fox this year, and he’s really excited about the future with Fox.”
Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox in May 2022, while still playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After retiring that season, he decided to take a year off before starting his broadcasting career in February 2023.
“Tom has had a tremendous amount of fun working with Fox this year, and he’s excited about the future with Fox and his growth on their team,” Yee said. “And this year was the first year of a long relationship.”
Yee did not respond to The Associated Press’ email or text for comment.
Fox Sports has dealt with rumors and criticism about Brady’s future, especially concerning his roles as both an analyst for Fox’s NFL coverage and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
This situation has become more intense this week as Brady, alongside Kevin Burkhardt, will call Saturday night’s NFC divisional-round game in Detroit between the Lions and Washington Commanders. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are both candidates for the Raiders’ head coaching job, and Brady is involved in the team’s coaching and general manager selection process.
Due to his stake in the Raiders, Brady cannot take part in Fox’s production meetings with teams, watch practices, or visit a team’s training facility, except for the Raiders’ complex. The NFL set these rules after Brady purchased a 5% stake in the Raiders in May 2023, and the owners approved the purchase in October.
Zager defended Brady’s professionalism, rejecting any claims of a conflict of interest between his role as a TV analyst and his involvement with the Raiders.
“It’s questioning his professionalism and integrity. It’s ridiculous,” Zager said.
Any questions Brady may have for coordinators or head coach Dan Campbell will be asked by Burkhardt or another Fox crew member during production meetings. Brady receives the same film and statistical data as other analysts.
“Anytime you’re around crew members and doing something as a crew, that’s a good thing for the crew. So, we’ve had to overcome that. You’re not going to have that time to bond,” Zager said.
“But when it comes to analyzing the game and learning information, what is available at the fingertips of the average fan now is probably light years ahead of what was available even to the broadcast crew 15-20 years ago. Not being in the meetings has not stopped him from growing as an analyst throughout the season.”
Although Brady’s analysis may face extra scrutiny because of his Raiders ownership, it would need to be excessively critical of a team or referee to raise concerns.
Zager noted that Brady has been open with his opinions on play calls or strategies, as expected from any analyst.
“It’s been awesome to watch Tom jump into this, having no broadcast experience, and calling the NFL’s biggest games. He continues to find his rhythm and those spots where he can really shine during a game,” Zager said.
“I think he’s hitting a great stride as we head to the postseason in our biggest games. And I’m looking forward to these next three games, which are three biggest games, and what he’s going to add to the broadcast.”
Rumors surrounding Fox’s top NFL crew are nothing new. Back in 2021, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck’s futures were constantly discussed before both joined ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” The focus on when Brady would start with Fox dominated the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
However, Brady relieved some pressure from the network before Super Bowl 57 in 2023 by confirming early in the week that he wouldn’t join Fox until 2023. This allowed Greg Olsen to handle questions about the game instead of his future, keeping him from being seen as a one-year analyst on a top network team.
