When Tom Brady signed a reported 10-year deal with FOX in May of last year, the plan was for the seven-time Super Bowl champion to pivot to the broadcast booth once he was done playing in the NFL.
Well, Brady's quarterbacking days are behind him -- and it seems like it's for good this time -- but one former signal-caller still is unsure if we'll ever see TB12 put on a headset and call games for one of the NFL's preeminent broadcasters.
In an interview with Michael McCarthy for Front Office Sports, Phil Simms explained why he has doubts about Brady becoming a full-time color analyst.
"I've got to see it -- or hear it -- to believe it," Simms told McCarthy. "I don't know. I just can't picture Tom Brady up there announcing games. You know why? He's Tom Brady. He's just bigger than life. ... In this day and age, is it worth it for him?Â
"Hey, I think they'll use him in different ways. I don't care. I'm going to say he doesn't do games. They'll put him on a pregame show and let him talk a little. There's lots of ways to use him. He's Tom Brady. ... He looks good. And he knows a lot of football, that's for sure. So yes, I think they'll use him in a different way. I don't have any insight -- and I don't even care. But I'll be surprised if he does games. I will be."
Simms isn't the only noteworthy pundit who's taking a wait-and-see approach to Brady's TV future. Both FS1's Colin Cowherd and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer aren't convinced the future Hall of Famer will ever join Kevin Burkhardt in the FOX booth.
Brady already pushed back the start of his broadcasting career, as he's not expected to debut with FOX until the start of the 2024 NFL season. Time will tell if the 45-year-old sticks with that tweaked plan.
