Tom Brady has faced scrutiny ever since he traded his helmet for a headset. People have criticized his on-air skills and potential conflicts of interest as a minority team owner. Some even claimed that he’s at FOX Sports just for clickbait. And now, Brady has fired back. 

“It’s clickbait for people, and it’s something that people have no idea what they’re really glomming onto,” Brady said during a conversation with Sports Business Journal’s Richard Deitsch and Austin Karp. “They just put it out there in the world and see what sticks. So to me, I just focus on what I need to do to be prepared. That’s what I did as a player, and I go out there every week as a broadcaster and try to do the same thing.”

Back in May 2022, FOX Sports announced that Brady signed a $375 million deal with the media company to transition into a lead analyst. His contract extends for 10 years. And it’s certainly garnering more money than his playing days (He had a contract of $332.9 million as a player). However, he has a few limitations as a broadcaster, as there have been conflict-of-interest claims due to his ownerships.

“I have a lot to prove to myself, to my teammates. I have a lot to prove to the executives. I want to go earn it, and I don’t want anything given to me,” Brady said further during the interview. “I hope they’ll have me through the end of this contract. I love getting to enjoy the game. I love watching good football.”

Apart from being the analyst for FOX Sports, Brady is also a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. There are a few limitations on the kind of access he gets to the players and the coaching staff. However, he confirmed that it doesn’t really affect his game-calling role.

“There’s such great camaraderie and chemistry we all have together,” Brady added. “We have seminars. We have off-site retreats. We have text threads with all of us. It feels like a big family in so many ways, and I was not really expecting that when I decided to take the job.”

Right now, he’s getting ready for his third season as an analyst with FOX. He’s slated to weigh in on the Week 1 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Even Troy Aikman might have similar conflict-of-interest trouble in the 2026 season. The former Cowboys quarterback joined the Miami Dolphins as an advisor. Meanwhile, he’s also the lead analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

That might affect the conversation during the broadcast in case the Dolphins make it to the nationally televised games. Right now, they’re far away from the position. 

Nevertheless, Brady is standing with FOX for the long haul. The media company’s president and executive producer, Brad Zager, clarified their stance on keeping the former Patriot for the long term. 

“From the moment we signed Tom, no matter what was written or said, I have never gotten an indication from Tom that he is not into this for the long haul,” Zager said. “For over a decade, we also heard about [former FOX analyst Troy Aikman] possibly taking a front office job. Rumors like that were always out there. You don’t know what the future holds, but I can tell you right now that we have had no discussions with Tom that didn’t involve him being here for a long time.” 

Yet, not everyone seemed happy with Brady’s broadcasting skills. 

Dave Portnoy reveals his honest views on Tom Brady as a broadcaster

Not too long ago, Dave Portnoy expressed his opinion on Brady’s broadcasting skills on The Megyn Kelly Show

“Bad. Awful. Not good,” Portnoy revealed in June. “He just stinks at it. He’s the greatest quarterback. Not everybody is born to be a great announcer. I just don’t find him to be good at announcing football. Now, he’s brand new. It’s his first year. They gave him a gigantic contract, but he certainly didn’t come out of the gates like a natural.”

While Brady’s reception in the booth has been mixed so far, it certainly has gotten people talking.

“Maybe anybody can eventually become a good announcer,” he further said. “I don’t know. It’s not the easiest thing to do. But he just didn’t come out of the gates. He’s almost to me, too elevated. He’s so great, like the way he talks. But no, he didn’t come out all guns firing.” 

Even veteran broadcaster Gary Lezak didn’t mince any words while talking about Brady’s 2024 stint as a broadcaster. He pointed out that the former quarterback was getting slammed on social media.

As a broadcaster with 38 years of experience, he was quick to note that Brady was “very nervous.” However, he did ask the world to “give him some slack.” After all, in due time, Brady will certainly get better. 

He did show some improvement by Week 2, as he called the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. Fans even loved how he broke down Derek Carr’s 70-yard pass for Rashid Shaheed, which ended in a touchdown. However, there were certain aspects that remained a problem. 

Brady has a tendency to explain complex concepts and trail off midway. Of course, with his vast knowledge of the game as a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback. That naturally led him to commentate on what was happening on the field. But that’s not what the broadcasting gig demands.