Tom Brady, the legendary quarterback who retired after a 23-year career in the NFL, is gearing up for his debut as an analyst.
After winning seven Super Bowls and being hailed as the greatest QB of all time, he took a year off from American football. Now, he's set to return to our screens throughout the season, but this time as a broadcaster and analyst with Fox Sports.
Before retiring in 2022, Brady signed a 10-year contract with the company. The ex-athlete, who now co-owners League One side Birmingham City, is just months away from stepping into his new role - one that many former players have excelled in.
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Tony Romo and Greg Olsen have both become two of the better co-commentators in the sport after retiring, while the likes of Joe Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Ryan Fitzpatrick have all become beloved analysts in the past few years.
Given Brady's high regard within and outside the sport, much will be expected from the former quarterback when he steps into the role this season. While he expects to face criticism, Brady believes he'll know if he's performed well in the job - wanting to answer four specific questions to conclude that he's thriving.
Brady told Fox: "Certainly, as a broadcaster, I don't think for me it's about competition. I think it’s - for me, it’s about, ‘Did I put everything I could into it? Did I give the fans everything that they tuned in for?'
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"That’s really how I’ll end up gauging myself and I’ll have to look at myself at the end of every Sunday night going, ‘Did I do a good enough job? Did I live up to the belief that Fox had in me? Did I live up to the expectations of my teammates Kevin Burkhardt and Erin [Andrews] and Tom [Rinaldi] and Richie Zyontz and Rich Russo and our entire truck and our entire team?' That’s ultimately how I’ll judge myself in that new role."
Kicking off in September, Brady will dive into the thick of it, pairing up with seasoned play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt as co-commentator in Cleveland on September 8, when the Browns take on Dallas in the opening week.
Brady is set to replace Olsen in Fox's premier team, positioning him to potentially commentate the Super Bowl in 2024, which Fox's holds the exclusive broadcasting rights for.
Speaking in March, he said: "I believe I can provide a pretty unique perspective that I think a lot of people will really like. It's going to be a lot of hard work. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's always about challenging yourself to grow in different areas. And this is certainly one way that I'm doing it."