Fanatics Fest has showcased an abundance of epic stars, ranging from Derek Jeter to Kevin Durant. Among the biggest stars to attend, though, was arguably the greatest football player ever, Tom Brady.
Ever wanted to see the seven-time champion disguise himself as tight end Rob Gronkowski? He did that. Ever wanted to see him create his own WWE walkout? Did that. He even sat with iconic streamer Speed. Brady truly shined in this upbeat environment.
Brady took time for a special Make-A-Wish meet-and-greet, threw passes to young fans at the NFL section of Fanatics Fest, then joined renowned sports journalist Stephen A. Smith for a fireside chat, in which they discussed various topics including football, broadcasting, and more.
It is well known that Brady will be joining FOX as an NFL broadcaster this season, having been signed on a monstrous 10-year, $375 million contract. The 47-year-old discussed what led him to pursue broadcasting and why he is now more excited than ever to do it.
“I didn’t think that when I retired I would go into broadcasting, but I had seen teammates go into it with success,” Brady said. “When I was playing, I wasn’t listening to much of the TV since I had my own view and judgment relating to the quarterback. Now I really could care less about the quarterback, I’m more listening to what’s going on between the play-by-play and the color commentator.”
The five-time MVP and seven-time Super Bowl champion frequently criticized the current state of the NFL, claiming that the intensity is not as strong and players are not quite as dedicated. This could be from a variety of reasons such as softer coaching regimes or the presence of social media distracting players — especially in the offseason.
“If you want football to be good, you need to develop the players to be better every year,” Brady said. “When I was younger we practiced more and had less distractions. Now there are so many distractions from high school to the pros.”
Further critiquing the current football landscape, Brady mentioned the constant transferring among college athletes. He mentioned his time at Michigan as a prime example of the old ways in which players learned. He had to deal with the adversity of being seventh on the depth chart and playing in front of the 100,000-plus-seat Michigan Stadium, not just learning a playbook.
“It’s dangerous that players are transferring from schools where they’re not playing,” Brady said. “They’re going to different programs and learning different techniques. They are not advancing in an individual system. It’s no longer about learning a program, it’s about learning a playbook.”
Another major shift in the current game, according to Brady, is the lack of quarterback adjustments pre-snap. While coaches have always called the plays, Brady recalls himself frequently shifting the play after reading a defense before the ball was snapped.
“If I knew we had no chance on a play call, I would change the play call at the line of scrimmage,” Brady said. “Let’s say I had a deep pass and they had deep coverage, then I would check to a run. Nowadays a quarterback sometimes just runs the play regardless of the coverage and is sacked, and then the offensive line is blamed.”
Smith did not let Brady leave without providing some thoughts on the best quarterbacks in the business today. Brady gave his top five, which included Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.
“Joe Burrow has a great connection with his teammates,” Brady said. “I’m very interested to see how Aaron (Rodgers) comes back this year. I believe he’ll be very motivated after a year off.”
Brady ended his exciting day on Friday by joining the Roommates Show on Center Stage. He talked further with Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, to go along with legendary rapper Lil Wayne.
Brady seems to be as candid as ever, especially now that he is no longer playing in the NFL. It will be fun to watch him this year in his debut season in the broadcasting booth for FOX.
