NFL producer adds to speculation about Tom Brady future in broadcast booth

When Tom Brady “officially” retired from the NFL in February, we all thought we knew his next move. The future Hall of Famer agreed to a lucrative contract deal with FOX to join the broadcast team when he decided to call it a career.

But doubt continues to grow about Brady’s actual interest in joining a broadcast team. A prominent NFL producer, Fred Gaudelli, recently added to the speculation about TB12 stepping into a broadcast booth.

“Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I know Tom, but I’ve been in meetings with Tom for over 20 years. And while he definitely knew our team, I never heard him express any interest in being an analyst,” Gaudelli told The New York Post. “I knew he was beginning to dabble in media. He had the (Tampa Bay Times), where he had these cartoons after games that he’d have his staff put together that were really pretty fun and somewhat innovative.”

Gaudelli, who worked for ESPN, ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime during his career, believed Brady might take the “Peyton Manning approach” to broadcasting. He thinks the seven-time Super Bowl winner would want a little more control over his media career.

As far as the broadcast booth? Gaudelli says it surprised him that Brady had interest.

“I never got the impression once that being in a booth and doing what we were doing was something that appealed to him,” Gaudelli said. “It doesn’t mean it didn’t, I just never had that interaction with him where he was curious about what we were doing or how we were doing it and what our lives were like or what the process was like.”

Doubts on Tom Brady’s broadcasting interest grow

Gaudelli’s comments about Brady are hardly the first to cast doubt on the former NFL quarterback’s interest in joining a broadcast team. In early May, Andrew Marchand of The New York Post suggested that Brady might not fulfill his duties.

“It was at 51% that he’s gonna do it to 49% (he doesn’t). With the reasoning that it’s so much money, he’ll try it for a year,” Marchand reported. “However, I’ve talked to a couple of people recently close to Brady and I feel like I’m going 49% chance he does it, 51% chance he doesn’t.

“I don’t think he wants to travel that much. … I think he shares his kids with Gisele, I think that’s very important to him. He can go and make money elsewhere. … 49-51 Brady not doing it at the moment. Fluctuating.”

Brady inked a 10-year, $375 million deal to join FOX’s broadcast team when he decided to retire. For that kind of payday, it seems like he’d be willing to give the new gig a chance.

Then again, it’s not like Brady is hurting for cash.