Getty Images Former New England Patriots QB Tom Brady
Fans of the New England Patriots have had an early Summer filled with events featuring Tom Brady, from his Netflix roast to his Patriots hall-of-fame ceremony. The football world will again watch Brady every week during the NFL season. But this time, the legendary quarterback will be in the broadcast booth analyzing plays and providing breakdowns for Fox.
Tom Brady’s NFL broadcast debut is fast approaching. The Patriots Hall of Famer is set to call the Week 1 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys on September 8, teaming up with Kevin Burkhardt. Despite Brady’s first broadcast appearance still being months away, NFL fans got a sneak peek into what they can expect to hear from Brady in the booth this fall, and it did not disappoint.
A six-time Super Bowl champion, Brady joined Fox’s Colin Cowherd on “The Herd” on June 19.
He discussed various topics during the appearance, from quarterback development to preparations for this next significant career move. Brady even spoke about pre-game collaboration and game planning with his former head coach, Bill Belichick. At times, Brady broke down the Xs and Os of preparation in the NFL on the offensive side, explaining in great detail at a very high level.
Brady Credits Belichick’s Meticulous Prep for Patriots’ Composure on the Field
Brady has often credited Belichick’s meticulous approach to preparation as a crucial factor in the New England Patriots’ success. During his sit down with Cowherd, the Fox host asked Brady if he felt his role was to lighten the mood because of Belichick’s no-nonsense presence.
“Were there times, because of Bill’s manner, that you felt on a Saturday night when you go into that meeting (pre-game) that it was way too tight? That I gotta lighten this room up a little?” Cowherd asked Brady.
Brady responded with an answer that seemed to surprise Cowherd a bit. “I think the answer would actually be no. And that’s where Bill was actually so great”, Brady responded. “No one saw him in those moments like we did. On Saturday night, we were so prepared and so focused we were the opposite of tight. We were always relaxed”, explained Brady.
According to Brady, Belichick’s comprehensive game plans and understanding of opponents allowed the team to enter games confidently. This preparation meant players knew exactly what to expect and how to react, reducing uncertainty and anxiety. As a result, the Patriots could play more freely and loosely, focusing on execution rather than worry. Brady noted that this readiness environment enabled the team to perform at its best.
Bill Belichick always had @TomBrady and the Patriots ready to go:
“Saturday night we were always so prepared and so focused. We were the opposite of tight. We were always relaxed.”
Brady Breaks Down the QB’s Top Priority in the Modern NFL
It helps that Brady, at 6 foot 4 inches, had a prototypical NFL quarterback build. He made up for his lack of speed and athleticism in elite pocket awareness, arm accuracy, and strength. However, his unparalleled ability to analyze and exploit a defense’s strengths and weaknesses arguably set him apart the most from other quarterbacks.
This critical skill was something that was coached into Brady over the years. As he prepares to transition into broadcasting, he believes this ability is essential to developing young NFL quarterbacks. During his interview on “The Herd,” Brady shared his perspective, stating that only six truly excellent NFL quarterbacks are in the league at any given time.
“The ability to develop that player to give him the tools, so when he gets to the line of scrimmage, he sees: blitz. He thinks, ‘Okay, if they’re blitzing me, these are the two protections I can use when they blitz; these are the two or three routes I can signal to my receivers that can beat the blitz.’
“There was always a reason why I did something,” Brady said. “Everything was intentional. There wasn’t a time, I would hope, that I would have ever snapped the ball into a bad defense.”
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Brady emphasized the importance of coaching in honing a quarterback’s ability to read defenses effectively, which he sees as essential for reaching the upper echelons of NFL performance for young quarterbacks.
Cowherd Recalls Tense Room as Executives Poured Into His Studio to Watch Brady Interview
With the sitdown between Brady and Cowherd completed and released to the public, we know it went very smoothly and was informative and entertaining.
But before the interview, Cowherd remarked on the unusually high number of Fox television executives in the studio, all there to ensure their new broadcasting star was set up for success. Cowherd detailed this on a June 19 episode of “The Colin Cowherd Podcast” on his network, “The Volume.” He highlighted how FOX executives filled the studio, underscoring their investment in Brady’s new role.
“The day starts, and all of a sudden, I’m seeing management all over the studio, and I’m like, ‘guys, I got this,” recalled Cowherd. “I started laughing at them; I’m like, ‘You guys come down here for one reason: you’re firing me, or I’ve got somebody important on.’ I’ve been doing this for 30 years; I’m good. It’s Tom Brady. Tommy talks.”
Cowherd understood the commotion but did his best to lower the temperature in the studio. Despite the high stakes and the presence of numerous FOX executives, Cowherd believed that Brady’s natural talent and insight would shine through, making for a successful broadcast debut. And he was right. Brady was excellent.
“Brady’s important for the company. It’s a big move. He’s Tom Brady, it’s Fox, it’s the NFL,” Cowherd said. “Greg Olsen is terrific, so you want to make sure he’s good, though I think they’ll both be great. But there’s just a lot of things going on here, so it was kind of a strangely tense day.”
It’s clear that Cowherd reveres Brady as an athlete but also believes he will be an elite NFL analyst and an excellent interview as the NFL season rolls along.
“Every time I interview Tom, I feel it’s a chapter. I tried to stay because I’m going to interview him several more times; I talked a lot about the process today,” Cowherd explained. “I wanted him to talk about process … as the season comes along, it will be more about the season, the moment. Today, all I thought was I want to introduce Tom and how he thinks to the audience. This is a process day. And he just tends to be the best process athlete we’ve ever had.”
Brady Strives For Excellence in His Next Career
After extensive practice sessions in the studio, Brady stepped into the broadcast booth alongside Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt for the June 16 UFL championship game. Always striving for excellence, Brady meticulously evaluated his performance as a broadcast rookie during his sitdown with Cowherd.
Tom Brady is already looking pretty comfortable at his new gig 👏
He’s making his commentator debut for @FOXSports at the UFL Championship Game.
🎥 @TheUFL
“There’s still so much more room for improvement. Almost like when I was a player, I never felt like I did things the right way,” Brady said. “There were games when I’d go in afterward and think, ‘God, I’m the worst quarterback in the NFL, why would they even want me to play quarterback for this team?’ and I’m sure I’m going to feel that way here at Fox.”
Brady continued to emphasize the importance of preparation in his new role.
“I think for me, so much of this is going to come down to the preparation. Did I feel like I was prepared? Did I feel like our crew was prepared? Did I give them the best over the course of the week so that we could give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful for the fans? The game is the show. We’re there to add our take on it and our analysis.”
Recognizing that broadcasting, much like football, relies heavily on teamwork, Brady is adapting his proven pre-game routines from his playing days to his new role as an analyst, emphasizing thorough preparation and collaboration.