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The day when Tom Brady will finally wave goodbye to the NFL in a playing capacity remains unknown. But when he does so, he will immediately be saying hello to millions of fans watching at home as he embarks on a career in the commentary booth.
Last month, it was announced that Brady had decided on his retirement plans by signing a 10-year, $375 million contract with FOX.
As the NFL world reacted, the main source of negativity came from his future colleagues in the media. Many of them struggled to come to terms with the fact that Brady had secured the biggest payday in the sector, despite never commentating in his life.
An endless stream of veteran broadcasters seemed to queue up just to tell us how difficult the transition would be for Brady and how he wasn't worth his new deal. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has now addressed his future move into the booth and conceded that he anticipates a lot of growing pains.
Speaking on the Dan Patrick show, Tom Brady had the following to say:
"I think it feels very much like a team that goes on the road to prepare for a game. So there's a lot of learning curve. I mean, obviously, it'd be a totally new career."
TB12 added:
"It's a new opportunity for me to try something that I'm going to work really hard to prepare to be as, as good as I possibly can be knowing that. The day that I walk on the set for the first time won't be my finest moment. There'll be, you know, a lot of growing pains and I'll have to learn to be really good at it."
Tom Brady will hope to enjoy a smoother switch to the commentary booth than some NFL stars
The move from the NFL field to the NFL media is a well-travelled path, littered with success stories. However, there have been some high-prolife stars who have not enjoyed the switch.
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement in 2020, and immediately signed a multi-year contract with NBC. However, after just one season, Brees quit, apparently wishing to spend more time with his family.
Fans were not convinced either by the reasons given or his commentary skills in general.
Tom Brady's former coach Bruce Arians also did not adapt to the career change. Following his retirement in 2018, Arians signed a deal with CBS. However, just six months in, he seemed to be looking at NFL HC jobs, famously stating in November 2018 that he would only consider the Cleveland Browns.
Two months later, he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the rest is history.
It is by no means a guarantee that Brady will be an automatic success in the media field. But if you're a betting man, you could do a lot worse than bet on the Buccaneers quarterback.
