Tom Brady is preparing for his career debut as an analyst for Fox Sports, and his first broadcast will feature the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8.
The Week 1 matchup is set to be an exclusive broadcast window for Fox, putting an even bigger spotlight on Brady’s debut as a sports analyst.
It took years for Brady to finally walk away from the gridiron. It most likely contributed to his failed marriage. This time it feels real. He walked away with seven Super Bowls. They did the roast. He got the 10-year $375M deal to talk on the microphone. He and Giselle are at peace.
But when it comes to Tom Terrific, who knows if he won’t get that urge to return to the glory and guts of football. Maybe a season in the booth doesn’t ease him into retirement but rather ignites his passion for the real thing.
The possibility of Tom Brady returning to the field will linger in the back of everyone’s heads at least until he’s 50.
Star receivers such as Davante Adams encouraging Brady to come back to the field doesn’t help ease the fears of Fox execs.
Adams, who will be trying to get big yardage for a quarterback room considered one of the worst in football, sat down with Shannon Sharpe on his world-famous “Uncle Shay Shay” podcast and dropped a bombshell about his desire to play for Tom Brady right now.
“Hell. Yes. You guys talk about how old he is…I don’t care,” Adams said.
Shannon replied: “You’d take him at 47, 48?
Before Sharpe could finish his breakfast, Davante Adams said, “I’d take him at 58 right now.”
With the Las Vegas Raiders entering the season with Aidan O’Connell most likely to be the starter, according to Adams, who recently told reporters “It’s Aidan O’Connell’s job ‘right now,’” the Raiders are looking extremely mid at the position. Gardner Minshew is a capable backup who can move an offense in the pinch, but he’s wildly erratic at times and if he plays too much his warts tend to outshine his contributions.
“Tom knows how I feel about him, and I would be the first person to play for both Tom and Aaron [Rodgers], so that would be pretty cool. He’s getting older but he still has to be able to throw it better than half these dudes in this league at this point,” Adams insisted.
“He’s gonna sit right there in that pocket so you better have a nice, little secure home for him right there.”
Lord have mercy. Adams and Uncle Shay Shay are trying to give Brady’s friends, family and the Fox suits who dished out almost $400M for him a heart attack.
Then Sharpe got serious and named off a list of quarterbacks the Raiders have had over the past three seasons and asked Adams about the frustration he feels trying to win and post huge numbers with no true No. 1 at QB.
“Yeah man,” Adams said, “It’s always a tough conversation when you talk about having the sure answer. We don’t know we have never seen Gardner in a Raiders uniform. … Aidan hasn’t had nearly as much experience.”
”This offense requires a real high level of execution,” Adams said. “I do believe in Aidan. We are just going to continue to grow and learn from each other. He came in real confident and showed everybody what he had the potential to do
“Just like me and Aaron,” Adams added. “If you were trying to count your chickens before they hatch with me because you wouldn’t of had no eggs. Because my first two years weren’t exciting, nobody thought I was going to turn out like this. Give time for the flower to grow. We are watering it right now and let’s see what happens.”
Adams had some high praise for the 25-year-old O’Connell and believes he will grow into an excellent quarterback. Adams also admits now is not the time to start expecting the Raiders to make a Super Bowl run, but he’s positive about the future.
He also made it clear that if there was any way he could get Tom Brady to come out of retirement, he would be with it.
Maybe Brady can be a player-owner.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, “Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Hall of Fame defensive lineman Richard Seymour is close to finalizing a deal to become an owner and limited partner of the Raiders.”
Adding Seymour is a move to help get Brady over the hump because owner Mark Davis wants to sell him a piece of the team and it wasn’t getting approved by the other owners.
Seymour, 44, finished his Hall of Fame career with the Raiders, playing for the team between the 2009-12 seasons. Prior to that, he was Brady’s teammate on the New England Patriots.
Brady, Seymour and their other partners would own a 10.4 percent ownership stake if the other NFL owners approve the transaction.
Earlier this year, reports say Brady and his ownership group was offered a 10 percent minority share for about $175 million in October of 2023 and Brady would have sole ownership of 7 percent.
But there were concerns from the finance committee reviewing Brady’s portfolio that his share was being sold below market value.
Naturally, Mark Davis isn’t that concerned with selling Brady a percentage of the franchise because of Tom’s legendary status as the NFL GOAT QB, his marketability, popularity and his future earrings which should only increase with his $375 million announcing deal that kicks in this year.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay told the Boston Globe straight out that he had a problem with the accuracy of the $175 million valuation.
“The number has to be a reasonable number for a purchase price for Tom, that’s the only thing. If a reasonable value says that 10 percent should be $525 million, you can’t pay $175 million.”
Now that it looks like adding Seymour settles the score, can you see Brady acting as player/owner and calling his own number in Vegas?
Adams would surely support that. Most fans are crazy enough to support it as well.
