Tom Brady's next chapter: Is FOX Sports still the next step? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The NFL won't be getting rid of Tom Brady even after his playing days are over.
The 45-year-old former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback will join FOX Sports as their lead NFL analyst "immediately following his playing career," FOX executive chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced on May 10, 2022 in a statement.
Brady briefly retired in February 2022 after his 22nd NFL season but announced in March he'd return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 23rd season. On Wednesday, the QB announced he's retiring from the NFL "for good," and if Murdoch's initial statement still holds, he'll enter a "long-term agreement" with FOX as a broadcast analyst now that he's done playing.
Will Tom Brady end career as a Patriot after announcing retirement?
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The former New England Patriots quarterback will join play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt on FOX Sports' lead broadcast team but will also serve as an "ambassador" for the network with a focus on "client and promotional initiatives," according to Murdoch.
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Brady's commitment to the broadcast booth is somewhat surprising, as the seven-time Super Bowl champion has several business initiatives outside football as well as family commitments that led him to initially retire in February 2022. In addition to his TB12 Sports empire and production company, 199 Productions, Brady recently launched an eponymous clothing line and is involved in the NFT platform Autograph.
Maybe Brady knows he won't be able to stay away from the game in retirement, though, and it will be interesting to see how he fares as a broadcaster after opening up a bit more in his dealings with the media after leaving the Patriots for the Bucs in 2020.
