The NFL legend, known for his ice-cold composure on the field, got real about what it was like swapping a helmet for a headset.

Tom Brady is entering his second season as a full-time analyst in the No. 1 commentary booth at FOX Sports, and the former quarterback believes he is adapting to his new role

Tom Brady endured an up-and-down first season as a commentator with FOX Sports(Image: Getty Images)

Tom Brady admitted he experienced “growing pains” during his first season in the booth for FOX Sports.

Brady became a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders back in October 2024, when his bid was voted through. It meant that the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback had to juggle more new responsibilities alongside his blockbuster commentary gig.

In the offseason, Brady has had time to work on his craft in the booth alongside trips to Las Vegas to check out the Raiders ahead of the 2025 season. He is under pressure to deliver after being widely criticised last season, which was the first of his 10-year contract worth FOX, worth $375 million.

Fans grew frustrated as Brady spent much of his rookie season avoiding player criticism, instead focusing on building a foundation for himself as a broadcaster. He also seemingly struggled to adjust to analysing the game as it plays out.

Brady is acutely aware of the pressure on his shoulders and likens it to being a quarterback entering the NFL for the first time. During an appearance on ‘The Joel Klatt Show,’ Brady acknowledged the difficulties he experienced in his first season.

“There was a lot of growing pains through the year for me, just in terms of prep and, obviously, going on-air, and there’s things you messed up and there’s things that you make mistakes,” Brady said.

“And probably a lot like being an NFL quarterback. You think, ‘I’m prepared and I got and I practiced.’ You go into a real game in your rookie year, and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, that’s a lot faster. What am I doing?’

“It gets a little better in Week 2 and a little better in Week 3. And sometimes you regress a little bit, and sometimes you do things you really like that impress you. And sometimes you’re like you forgot completely going into Week 9, ‘How did I do that?’ or ‘What was I talking about?’”

 
Brady was in New England for his statue unveiling outside the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium last week(Image: Getty Images)

After announcing his first retirement in February 2021, Brady signed a lucrative deal to join FOX Sports. While he returned for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season, Brady’s contract kicked in upon his second – and lasting – retirement.

The former quarterback took a sabbatical for the 2023 NFL season, but entered the booth in 2024 to mixed reviews, particularly at the start of the year. He found the campaign “rewarding” and is optimistic ahead of season two as he continues to navigate the challenge of presenting to a wide audience.

“The tricky part for broadcasting is everybody likes something a little bit different,” Brady added. “I think when you’re broadcasting a game, the listener likes something different from everybody. They like your voice. They like your inflection. They like your technical parts — or they don’t. They like or they don’t like.

“Some like a little teaching. Some like entertainment. Some like personal stories. Some you’re talking too much about yourself. Depending on who you ask, you get a lot of feedback. And I think that’s the confusing part.”

Last week, FOX Sports also announced that its No. 1 broadcast team – play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, analyst Brady, and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi—will have the Week 1 call on Sept. 7 for the game between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. The group will then head to Kansas City as the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a blockbuster Super Bowl LIX rematch.