Howie Long believes Tom Brady could be next legendary NFL announcer
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
Longtime Fox NFL studio analyst Howie Long believes that Tom Brady could follow in the footsteps of a legendary announcer once Brady begins working as Fox's lead in-game analyst in September.
"People are going to tune in for Tom," Long said during a recent edition of the "Green Light Podcast with Chris Long," as shared by Brendon Kleen of Awful Announcing. "...It’s like John Madden. You’re watching John Madden do a football game and he brings a different element. Tom’s insight into situational football, into moments that he’s had during his career, challenges, things that you’re facing on the field in real time, he can reference. And I’m mesmerized by him."
Madden is widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history but became a household name and iconic figure largely for his work calling nationally televised games alongside Pat Summerall.
As for Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion retired from playing in February 2023 and used a "gap year" to help prepare him for his next football-related job.
Brady has practiced calling games with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, received advice from media personalities and spent time with Fox employees such as Howie Long during an offseason team-bonding trip to the Bahamas.
"He understands what it means to be a good teammate … as well as [how to be] someone who holds people accountable and all of that," Long said about Brady. "Tom is a smart guy. He’s a passionate guy. He talks a lot about the one thing that drives success the most is your willingness to work. And not everyone is willing to work. And I think Tom is going to work his rear end off at it."
It's understandable individuals such as Long and FS1 personality Colin Cowherd are spending portions of the summer hyping what Brady will be in the booth serving as the replacement for fan-favorite analyst Greg Olsen.
After all, the future Hall of Famer signed a 10-year deal reportedly worth $375M with Fox a couple of offseasons ago, and network executives will want a return on that investment.
Time will tell if Brady's presence will give Fox a ratings boost when he makes his regular-season announcing debut for the Week 1 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8.
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