The former NFL star quarterback is set to begin his first season as Fox Sports’ lead analyst.Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics

Tom Brady says he’s still a quarterback. Just in a different way now.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner is not behind center anymore but he’s back dissecting game film and adjusting on the fly as Fox Sports’ lead analyst. Brady spoke about transitioning from the gridiron to broadcasting ahead of his first season in the booth at Fanatics Fest in New York City on Friday afternoon.

He says television wasn’t on his radar after initially retiring in 2022 (he later hung up the cleats for good last year) but after being approached by the network, he could see similarities to his former occupation.

“I still get to be a quarterback,” he said during a one-on-one conversation called “True Grit” with ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith. “It’s a little bit different but in the end, you’re sitting in that hot seat and you’re the one calling the shots. That’s where I like to be and where I’m most comfortable.”

 

Brady, the highest-paid sports commentator ever, drew inspiration from his former New England Patriots teammates like Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and Rodney Harrison who had successful careers in sports television. In addition, the 15-time Pro Bowler says he reached out to former NFLers-turned-current stars in the booth, including CBS’s Tony Romo, ESPN’s Troy Aikman and NBC’s Cris Collinsworth.

It’s still to be determined what style of commentator Brady will be, with the former QB adding that he won’t hold back on his opinions, but he made his pitch anyway to why viewers should tune in to Fox this upcoming season.

“There’s so many different things that I was able to be part of, I can relate to this current generation of athletes going out there trying to make their dreams come true,” the former sixth-round draft pick said of the many up and downs he had during his 23-year NFL career.

Brady, who is also using retirement to flush out his business portfolio, didn’t leave the “True Grit” stage without doubling down on his previous comments made on the Stephen A. Smith Show last year about the “mediocrity” around the league. “If you want football to be good, then you’re going to want to develop these players to be better every single year. The reality is we don’t have the processes in place for those players to better year after year.”

The future Hall of Famer riffed on a myriad of reasons for the weakened on-field product in the NFL; from more distractions off the field to the advent of the transfer portal in college football that allows players to freely jump from program to program. These hard takes could be the beginning of what fans may receive from Brady on TV starting this season and beyond.

As he juggles broadcasting and business duties, along with being a father of three, Brady was asked what else he wants to accomplish in life. He said he wants to pay it forward, serving as a mentor and positive role model for athletes, students, coaches and others.

 

“I’ve had a lot of unique experiences that have helped me grow,” he added. “The only reason I’m here today are the people that came into my life.”