Surprised by Tom Brady’s Wednesday morning retirement announcement? So was his next employer.
FOX Sports, which last year signed Brady to a 10-year, $375 million contract to be its top NFL game analyst, “had no idea” the quarterback was planning to retire, according to a report Wednesday from TMZ Sports.
TMZ also reported Brady “is not part of the network’s plans for Super Bowl coverage next weekend.” FOX’s current top team of Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play) and Greg Olsen (color) is scheduled to call Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Since FOX was unaware Brady would end his playing career prior to Super Bowl Sunday, there seemingly still is an opportunity to integrate him into their gameday coverage in some capacity, though that is pure speculation.
Brady’s retirement is an unfortunate development for Olsen, who’s impressed this season after he and Burkhardt replaced Troy Aikman and Joe Buck as FOX’s No. 1 broadcast duo. Olsen has been a standout performer in this year’s playoffs, especially when compared to his increasingly criticized CBS counterpart, Tony Romo.
“Listen, if Brady ends up retiring and coming … and that’s how everything unfolds, it sucks,” Olsen said last week on ESPN’s “The Waddle and Silvy” radio show. “But at the end of the day, I’m a big boy. I know what I signed up for. I took a chance on myself. I rolled the dice. Let’s see how it plays out.”
It remains to be seen what will become of Olsen if FOX replaces him with Brady next season. Brady has no broadcasting experience, so this will be a new venture for the future Hall of Famer.
