Fox Sports is spending $375 million to put Tom Brady in the broadcast booth, and the network wants to make sure everyone knows he's there. The seven-time Super Bowl champion made his debut as an NFL analyst during the Fox broadcast of the regular-season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. But first came a Brady hype video leading into the pregame show, where the studio team admitted they couldn't help but “fanboy” over their new co-worker.
“You’re a broadcaster, how about that!” play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt said when the camera cut to the booth in Cleveland, where Brady, in a coat and tie, made his first live appearance on screen. The former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback was identified when they cut to the booth as a “7-time Super Bowl champion.” And that, as the kids say, is a nice flex.
Sideline reporter Erin Andrews made sure to let Dallas coach Mike McCarthy know that Brady had been complimentary of his play calling. Charissa Thompson gave him a shout-out when she broke in with a score update on the game between Tampa Bay, one of his former teams, and the Washington Commanders. Burkhardt joked during during another on-screen appearance that he paid extra attention to his hair because he knew there would be more shots of the broadcast booth.
“I do what they tell me. I understand that," Brady said with a chuckle. "I’m still a rookie in here.
” To the viewers, that was obvious. Brady’s commentary was know.