FOX Sports NFL reporter Erin Andrews wants to give people a reality check about working in sports. She says you must truly love the job to succeed. Andrews, one of the most famous sports reporters in the U.S., explains that her job requires major sacrifices.

“I miss a lot of stuff. I missed a lot of weddings. I miss a lot of events,” she recently said on the Calm Down podcast. “You have to love it to get you through the fact that I’m not going to be home for Thanksgiving next week, or Christmas is cut short.” 

Working in sports media means you often have to miss important family moments and holidays. According to Andrews, loving the work is the only thing that helps you get real with these tough realities.

Andrews became famous working for ESPN starting in 2004. She covered major sports like college football, college basketball, and Major League Baseball (MLB). She quickly became well-known for her strong presence on TV and her skillful reporting from the sidelines. 

In 2012, Andrews made a big move to FOX Sports. She became the main sideline reporter for the network’s NFL coverage. This means she covers major games, including the NFC Championship Game and even the Super Bowl. Andrews has been a major figure in sports media for almost twenty years. 

Building on her long-standing credibility as a leading NFL sideline reporter, Andrews recently used her platform to defend an NFL legend whose career had been questioned.

Erin Andrews defends Tom Brady 

Nobody ever questions Tom Brady the player, but what about him as a commentator? Erin Andrews is defending Brady against people who say he isn’t doing a good job as a TV sports commentator. She argues that when Brady joined FOX Sports, he faced a very tough situation.

Knowing Brady’s reputation, all eyes were always going to be on him if he was involved in the NFL. The attention on him turned more prominent when he moved from playing football to being in the broadcasting booth a couple of years after he retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

FOX Sports secured Tom Brady as their lead NFL analyst in 2022 while he was still with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he didn’t step into the broadcast booth until the 2024 season. The network reportedly handed him a 10-year, $375 million deal, immediately making him one of the highest-paid commentators in sports history.

Recently, Brady made a mistake on Sunday when he had an awkward slip of tongue that quickly spread online. However, FOX insiders Andrews and Thompson think viewers should be more understanding.

Speaking on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, the two insisted that being a commentator is much harder than it seems. Andrews joked that she was “annoyed” because the famous quarterback learned the job so quickly.

“I think we saw that with Tom Brady, I mean, I think he was the most scrutinized person to get into a booth, especially last year, right?” she said. “And I’m proud of him.”

Andrews isn’t surprised by Brady’s quick success in the booth, having seen the focus and attention to detail he carried throughout his playing career. That same dedication will be on full display this Sunday as Week 13 kicks off with the NFC North showdown, with Brady and Kevin Burkhardt calling the action from the booth and Andrews alongside Tom Rinaldi on the sidelines at Ford Field, ensuring fans don’t miss a single pivotal moment.

Before the next kickoff, it is worth looking at how leadership shapes these high-pressure moments. That is where Champ Bailey’s thoughts on Sean Payton’s influence come in.