(NewsNation) — Tom Brady is retiring for real this time. Fox Sports is making a $375M gamble that Brady will be a hit as its face of NFL coverage, but other sports analysts are already betting against him.
Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Mike Francesa pronounced Brady’s broadcast career dead on arrival, saying he doesn’t think Brady will be a great analyst. CBS Sports Radio host Jim Rome said Greg Olsen, who currently holds the lead NFL analyst role for Fox Sports, has set the bar extremely high for Brady to succeed in media.
Joe Namath may be one of the few people on the planet who truly understands what could be ahead for Brady.
After hanging up his own helmet, the New York Jets legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback known as “Broadway Joe” had an acting and football broadcasting career.
Like many have spoken about Brady before, Namath said, with support, “don’t bet against him” when asked about the football standout’s ability to transition into a broadcast role.
“Tom was absolutely wonderful, amazing. And as far as making the transition wherever he goes, don’t bet against him. Do not bet against him. Tom gets himself prepared for whatever it is, and he’ll be just fine,” Namath told NewsNation host Dan Abrams.
Last year, it was announced that once Brady retired, he would join Fox Sports in a 10-year, $375 million deal. Namath described his own transition into sports media as “awful.”
“I knew nothing. There wasn’t any kind of education offered at the time. When I think back, when I was going through it last, there was no coaching. You know, I was used to being coached in football. I had some great coaches in high school, college, professional football,” Namath said.
Brady has said previously that he’s looking to learn about the ever-evolving sports broadcast world. But, should he be concerned about expectations of people waiting to see if he’s as good in the broadcasting booth as he is on the field? Namath thinks it’s all about development for Brady.
“I don’t think he’s doing it specifically for the money. He’s in pretty good shape financially. I have to believe it’s his desire to continue to grow, to continue to get better at something, to continue to contribute,” Namath said. “I think he’s going to do a great job.”
Brady, 45, announced his retirement from the NFL after winning seven Super Bowls with an unprecedented 23-year career.