Tom Brady’s agent says former QB intends to fulfill contract with Fox as NFL broadcaster
“Tom has had a tremendous amount of fun working with Fox this year, and he’s really excited about the future with Fox and his growth on their team.”
Despite chatter that Tom Brady could cut his contract with Fox short following this year’s Super Bowl, his agent put those discussions to rest.
Brady, who is also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, became Fox’s top color commentator alongside play-by-play voice Kevin Burkhardt beginning this season. This dynamic, which could be seen as a conflict of interest, has made people wonder if the seven-time Super Bowl champion will ditch the headset after just one season to focus on his ownership role.
Don Yee, Brady’s long-time agent, said his client intends to fulfill his massive 10-year, $375 million contract with the network.
“Tom has had a tremendous amount of fun working with Fox this year, and he’s really excited about the future with Fox and his growth on their team,” Yee told the Sports Business Journal’s Ben Fischer. “And this year was the first year of a long relationship.”
Due to Brady’s Raiders part-ownership, he’s been subject to significant restrictions within his broadcasting role. The NFL disallows him from attending teams’ practices and entering their facilities, and he cannot participate in Fox production meetings. Those are standard practices for any typical broadcaster.
Brady is also prohibited from publicly criticizing teams and referees during broadcasts.
Despite his unique role, the 47-year-old has seemed to balance his positions well. Brady settled into his broadcasting role after a shaky Week 1 debut. He is also reportedly on Las Vegas’ head coach search committee; the team reportedly has its eyes set on Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Brady is said to be heavily recruiting Johnson for head coach.
For what it’s worth, Brady is going to call Saturday’s Lions-Commanders divisional playoff game.
He also reportedly contacted his own former head coach, Bill Belichick, to try to convince the 72-year-old to join the Raiders as their next HC.
Whether Brady’s dual role eventually becomes too glaring of a conflict of interest for himself or Fox remains to be seen. But it seems like as long as he abides by the league’s rigid rules, Brady can continue with his one-of-a-kind career.
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