When it comes to its NFL coverage, Fox Sports gambled big with Tom Brady. They bought in early on the former Patriots quarterback, paying a huge amount of money based on the assumption that Brady’s talent on the field would translate to the booth.
Heading into the homestretch of the NFL season, however, it’s becoming clearer by the game that this hasn’t happened. Brady remains a lead analyst in search of an identity, and unless he can find his very quickly, the execs at Fox Sports are going to face some difficult decisions, including the possibility of a very expensive buyout.
Tom Brady has overcome his rough start in the booth, but he’s no natural
Brady had some tough moments during his first few games, but he quickly overcame most of them. This wasn’t all that surprising given that most of them were about timing his comments, then finding his flow as an analyst.
Other issues have surfaced since, however. Brady’s take on Daniel Jones “decision” to leave the Giants felt both lazy and ill-advised, especially given that the Giants forced him to the sidelines and beyond to eliminate the possibility that Jones’ massive injury payment could kick in if he got hurt. Brady’s reputation for having a relentless work ethic took a hit as a result, and that had to sting given the pride he has in doing the work.
Brady’s take on quarterback slides has ignited a new round of controversy, too. The hit that Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair put on Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence sure looked like blatant head hunting, and the NFL basically acknowledged that with a three-game suspension for Al-Shaair, along with a very public letter of condemnation by Operations VP Jon Runyan that was released to the media.
But Tom Brady didn’t quite see it that way. He suggested that the timing of quarterback slides might be part of the issue, and that a penalty might be in order for those who go down late. This might have been an interesting take on a lesser hit, but given that it was made about an egregious act that initiated what appeared to be a fencing reaction from Lawrence, it came off as tone deaf at best.
It also made it seem like Brady is flailing a little. He doesn’t want to come off as a soft analyst who’s basically in the league’s back pocket, especially given that his status as a minority owner has already resulted in a series of limitations on his ability to meet with coaches and criticize the referees. But swinging wildly in the opposite direction doesn’t help Brady’s brand as an announcer, which is still very much a work in progress.
The Greg Olsen decision looms large going forward
Perhaps the biggest problem in this awkward transition is the question of what to do with Greg Olsen, who ceded his spot as #1 analyst with grace and class. Before Brady took to the booth, Olsen was garnering praise across the industry, which paired well with the respect Olsen already had among the coaches and players who were put in the spotlight by some of his commentary.
But that grace and class doesn’t change the fact that Fox Sports has replaced a superb announcing talent with a lesser one. Olsen is basically a natural, to the point where it would be borderline foolish to leave him in the #2 slot. To put it in football terms, this would be the equivalent of benching the #1 quarterback to get his less-talented backup into the lineup, which would be an illogical decision to say the least.
The Brady buyout option
The best answer for all concerned might be a buyout. For Olsen, it would restore him to his rightful place at the top of Fox Sport’s announcing lineup, and he would also be more than justified in asking for a raise if Fox made this move. Brady is already a minority owner, so if he would prefer to shed his announcing duties to focus on rescuing the Raiders from mediocrity, that kind of move could work well for him, too.
It's not a great solution for Fox Sports, but it would quickly rectify a fairly obvious mistake. The buyout would be huge given that Brady is currently making about $36 million a year with a ten-year deal, but it would restore order to Fox's announcing lineup, and Fox Sports could focus on developing its younger announcers and further improve the quality of its NFL broadcasts.