Patriots

Ahead of his NFL broadcasting debut, Tom Brady turned to Greg Olsen for advice

Brady, who will replace Olsen as the lead color commentator on Fox, asked for some tips ahead of his Week 1 debut on Sept. 8.

By Faith Pinnow

May 17, 2024

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When Tom Brady steps into the booth on Sept. 8 to call the Week 1 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys, it will be a moment that was years in the making. 

The seven-time Super Bowl champion has been preparing for his broadcasting debut ever since he inked a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports in May 2023. Brady will join the network’s lead play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, replacing Greg Olsen.

Olsen, a 14-year NFL veteran who made the precarious transition to sportscaster, quickly became a fan favorite as FOX’ leading color commentator in 2021. Brady, looking to emulate the success of his predecessor, turned to Olsen for advice ahead of the 2024 season.

“I had a chance to speak with Tom a couple of weeks ago, and he was just kind of picking my brain about the prep and the industry and what to expect and whatnot,” Olsen told USA Today’s “Sports Seriously” Thursday. 

“Every guy has their own journey in sports broadcasting. I think everyone thinks it’s easy,” he continued. “I think everyone thinks getting up there and calling a live football game for three hours off the cuff, and being able to get in, get out, deal with the flow of the game, the players, the schemes, the terminology — there’s a lot going on during a game, and I think some guys really transition to it well and take to it pretty quickly. And other guys haven’t.”

Brady’s record-shattering 23-year career with the Patriots and the Buccaneers is a testament to his ability to prepare, manage, and execute in high-stress environments. However, Olsen said that those skills don’t always translate directly from the gridiron to the booth. 

“I don’t think there’s any real correlation between being a great player or an average player, and how that correlates to being a great broadcaster or an average broadcaster. I think we’ve seen examples on both ends of that spectrum. So, we’ll see how it all plays out.”

Catch Brady’s broadcasting debut on Sept. 8 at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX, when the Cowboys head to Cleveland for a Week 1 showdown.