During an investors call, FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback will be joining lead play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt to provide color commentary during games.
The partnership will begin next year, or maybe the year after that, or whenever the 44-year-old finally decides to hang up his cleats. At the end of last season, Brady briefly retired after losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but then changed his mind and announced his return two months later.
Tom Brady has been an ageless wonder in the NFL. Despite his advanced age, Brady led the league in both passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43). He also led the Buccaneers to the NFC South Divisional title and is only one season removed from his 2020 SuperBowl win in his first season with the Buccaneers.
Tom Brady is also only the second quarterback to win Super Bowls with two different teams. The other is his longtime rival, Peyton Manning. In addition to one Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, Tom Brady won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Brady will be the latest in a string of former quarterbacks making the jump to media. Tony Romo, who spent 14 years under center with the Dallas Cowboys, has received critical acclaim for his work in the CBS broadcast booth after retiring in 2017. Drew Brees signed on as an analyst for NBC after a two-decade career and brothers Peyton Manning and Eli Manning started providing alternative commentary on ESPN2 for Monday Night Football games last year.
Murdoch said Brady will also work as an ambassador with a focus on “client and promotional initiatives,” but did not specify exactly what that will entail.
Brady tweeted that he is “excited” but that there is still “a lot of unfinished business on the field” with the Buccaneers.