Tom Brady will be calling football games for Fox this season after signing a 10-year, $375 million deal with the network and is slated to call NFL games this season as the network’s premier color commentator.
Brady steps into the booth for Fox with some big shoes to fill. Greg Olsen, who had taken over the job since retiring from the NFL himself, was excellent at it. He won an Emmy before Brady had been earmarked as his replacement.
The job certainly won’t be an easy one for Brady. And now, because of his business dealings on the backend of things, the job becomes a bit harder for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Wait. Why would Brady struggle?
Brady’s access to teams is being restricted by the NFL because of his bid for a partial ownership stake with the Raiders, according to new reporting from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham.
Brady is part of a group working to buy a 10 percent stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. That stake would make him part of an ownership group for another team, which means granting him access to other team’s facilities, players and coaches could present a conflict and lead to violations.
That’s why the league is restricting his access while he does his job for Fox.
What sorts of restrictions are we talking about?
Usually, broadcast crews get loads of access to teams ahead of the production.
They tour team facilities, observe team practices and more. Most importantly, they speak with players and coaches ahead of the game to get an idea of the game plan. Those details are discussed in production meetings and reported throughout the broadcast.
Brady won’t be able to do any of that, according to Wickersham’s reporting.
He’ll also be subject to the league’s tampering policy and gambling policy and must limit himself to “social interactions” with the players while working.
Sheesh. Can he still do the job?
Will Brady still be able to do his job? Sure. It can work. But it’s going to be difficult.
Brady won’t be the first broadcaster ever to be subject to restrictions. His predecessor, Olsen, had to deal with the NFL limiting his access when he was a guest broadcaster in 2017 while still playing for the Panthers.
ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza had to deal with similar restrictions when she took on an advisory role for the New York Mets. She’s since left that role and signed multiple extensions with ESPN.
So, no, these restrictions won’t completely stop Brady from doing his job. There’s a chance he can still do it well.
But, as a first-timer in the booth, you’ve got to wonder how good it’ll be. Personally, I hope it’s solid for all of our sakes.
We don’t need another Romo situation.
