Tom Brady says he has decided to take a year off before joining Fox Sports to begin earning his $375 million as an NFL analyst.
Last May, before his final retirement announcement, Fox Sports proudly announced that it had entered into an agreement with Brady to join the broadcast booth “immediately” upon his retirement. Now, according to Brady, we learn that “immediately” consists of 12 months.
Appearing on FS1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Brady is now saying he will join the network next year.
“Decompression’s really important,” Brady said about the near future for his retirement plans. “You’re on this really crazy treadmill, hamster wheel for a long time, loving the moment and journey. At the same time, it’s a daily fight.
Tom Brady, #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, yells as he runs on the field before the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
“I have appreciation for so many people that are so committed every day to showing up, to put their max effort into their life and career. For me, I want to be great at what I do — talking, even last week, with the people at Fox Sports, and the leadership there, allowing me to start my Fox opportunity in 2024, something that’s great for me,” the 45-year-old quarterback continued.
“So, take some time to really learn, become great at what I want to do, become great about thinking about the opportunity, and making sure I don’t rush into anything. When people really bet on me, whether it was when I was drafted by the Patriots or signing in free agency with the Bucs, I wanted to be fully committed, and I never wanted to let people down. I think my biggest motivator was that,” Brady explained.
“So, even in the future, I want to be great at what I do, and that always takes some time and strategizing and learning and growing and evolving, and I have so many people I can rely on that can support me in that growth too. It’s going to be a great opportunity for me to take some time and really become [great] at my Fox broadcasting job, which I’m really looking forward to, but also catching up on other parts of my life that need some time and energy,” he said.
Tom Brady, #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, walks off the field after losing to the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Last year, Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch was excited to announce the addition of Brady to the team.
“Over the course of this long-term agreement, Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, he will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives,” Murdoch said.
Still, Murdoch added that it was “entirely up to” Brady as to the timetable of that pending deal.
There has been much speculation about when Brady might fulfill his commitment to Fox Sports. Apparently, we now know.
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