Tom Brady expected to join FOX Sports after NFL retirement

Tom Brady flirted with retirement this offseason before ultimately returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But that hasn’t stopped him from doing some more retirement planning.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion has agreed to join FOX as its lead analyst following his retirement — whenever that may be, FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced on an earnings call Tuesday morning.

“We are pleased to announce that immediately following his playing career, 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady will be joining us at FOX Sports as our lead analyst,” Murdoch said in a statement. “Over the course of this long-term agreement, Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, but will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives.

“We are delighted that Tom has committed to joining the Fox team and wish him all the best during this upcoming season.”

FOX’s booth saw some major changes this offseason as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman both left for ESPN to become the new Monday Night Football team. The network then promoted Kevin Burkhardt to replace Buck, but still hasn’t named a new lead analyst for 2022. After FOX announced the Brady news, the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand speculated Greg Olsen remains the favorite to replace Aikman until Brady hangs up his cleats.

The deal has been in the works for some time. Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand reported FOX and Brady began negotiations shortly after Aikman left FOX for ESPN — which happened while Brady was initially retired.

Following the announcement, Brady retweeted the FOX Sports statement with a thought of his own about his next journey.

Excited, but a lot of unfinished business on the field with the @Buccaneers #LFG https://t.co/FwKlQp02Hi

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 10, 2022

“Excited, but a lot of unfinished business on the field with the @Buccaneers #LFG,” Brady tweeted.

The main question is now when Brady will eventually retire. He’s 44 years old, but sure didn’t look like it last year as he led the NFL in passing yards. The joke has been that he could play until he’s 50 — and he didn’t exactly rule that out last month.

“I do think I could play till 50,” Brady said. “But I don’t think I will just because I know the commitment that it takes. I know the commitment that it takes for me at 44 and 45. I worked out today and it’s a big commitment and I’m away from my 14-year-old son and my 12-year-old son and my nine-year-old daughter.”