How long is Tom Brady’s commentator contract, and can it be cancelled for awkwardness?

One of the greatest quarterbacks in football history retired in 2022, but Tom Brady‘s not walking away from the game completely. The former Patriots and Buccaneers powerhouse spent more than 20 seasons dazzling football fans the world around, but football isn’t a sport you can maintain forever.

It’s a brutal game, and its physical demands require that everyone — even the Tom Brady — retires eventually. Brady’s official retirement came about following the 2022 season, which will serve as his last, but he’s far from done with the sport as a whole. Football is in the man’s blood — he can’t just walk away from it.

Which now provides football fans with a new means to get their Brady fix. The former quarterback is shifting professions, after signing a deal with Fox that officially kicked off in early September. The longtime Patriot is now the lead color commentator for NFL on Fox, and fans still aren’t sure if it’s the right role for him.

How long is Tom Brady’s contract with Fox?

Brady left the NFL after 23 spectacular seasons in 2022, but he already had his next steps lined up. Soon after departing the field, Brady was eying a new future in football, this one with far less risk of injury. In mid-2024, Brady made his big debut as the lead color commentator for NFL on Fox, taking that passion for the sport to the booth.

His first day on the job was a bit shaky, leading to a wave of critical but overall kindhearted reactions from fans, proving that people aren’t worried about Brady’s future. His first game may have been awkward, sporting far too many pauses and a persistently uneven cadence, but these things take time. Brady wasn’t a record-breaker on his first day on the field, either. He became the powerhouse player he was over time — the same is sure to happen in the broadcasting booth.

Fans are convinced that Brady has what it takes to be a stellar commentator, and he’s certainly got time to master the craft. The former footballer signed a massive contract with Fox, setting him up for a 10-year stint with the network. His decade-long contract is worth an eye-popping $375 million, and will see Brady continue to contribute his expertise to the game for a long time to come.

NFL fan reactions to Brady’s first broadcast

Brady’s big Fox debut was certainly sophomoric, but it was also his first day on the job. None of us were perfect on our first day, and his shaky rollout came as a comfort to some fans. While a few people were complaining about those awkward pauses, others were praising Brady for proving to fans that even football royalty has bad days. Brady is as human as the rest of us, and that first broadcast was a vital reminder.

There were plenty of harsh criticisms to go along with the forgiving ones, of course, but the majority have faith in Brady’s ability to adapt. It won’t be enough to drown out the naysayers entirely, but Brady’s been proving people wrong since the start.

Brady’s uneven performance did lead to high praise for his play-by-play partner, Kevin Burkhardt, who people widely lauded for keeping things on track. He earned overtime in that first broadcast, as he worked two separate jobs keeping things flowing and filling the silence Brady couldn’t seem to shake.

There’s clear good news mixed in with the bad of that initial broadcast, so don’t worry too much, football fans. Brady is famous for his ability to hone his craft, and he’s only just taken up this new one. It might take a while, but give him a few months and Brady will be tackling this new task with the same breathtaking skill he displayed on the field. It’s only a matter of time.