Reported details of Tom Brady's massive broadcast deal with FOX originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Tom Brady will make more money talking about NFL games than playing in them, it appears.
FOX Sports announced Tuesday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback will join the network as its lead NFL analyst "immediately" after he's done playing. Brady is committed to playing for the Bucs in 2022 but is on a one-year contract, so we could see him in the broadcast booth with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt as soon as 2023.
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It's a somewhat surprising move for the seven-time Super Bowl champion -- but FOX is making it worth his while.
Brady will make between $20 million and $25 million annually on his new FOX contract that is "believed to be longer" than five years, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported Tuesday.
The deal could be worth up to $190 million or $200 million total, per McCarthy, easily surpassing the contracts of Troy Aikman and Tony Romo (both at around $18 million per year) to become the richest deal in sports TV history.
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Ironically, Brady's TV contract will be worth more than any he's signed over his 22-year NFL playing career to date.
The 44-year-old never inked a deal worth more than $72 million total during his two-decade tenure with the New England Patriots, often taking pay cuts and restructuring his contract to help the team build a Super Bowl contender around him.
Brady signed a two-year, $50 million deal with the Bucs in 2020 but will make "only" $15 million in 2022 on a restructured contract with Tampa Bay.
Those who saw the publicly-guarded version of Brady in New England probably didn't envision him pursuing a career in sports media. But earning up to $25 million a year to call one football game a week is pretty good work if you can get it.
