ESPN's Joe Buck said he wants to help Tom Brady prepare for broadcasting career
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady is getting ready to embark on his next act in the broadcasting booth and many, including sportscaster Joe Buck, are interested to see how he transitions.
“It’s a new situation for (Tom Brady), and I’m anxious to see how he does with all that," Buck said during an appearance on "The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast."
Buck, who serves as the lead play-by-play analyst on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" alongside Troy Aikman, who similarly transitioned from quarterback to broadcaster, said he's open to lending Brady a helping hand as he starts his broadcasting career. Brady signed a 10-year deal, $375 million with Fox Sports in 2022 to become the network's lead analyst alongside play-by-play commentator Kevin Burkhardt.
“I know that (Brady) talked to Troy (Aikman) about it, he’s talked to intermediaries about maybe getting with me and having me help him, which I’m totally open to doing and would love to do," Buck added.
Buck said it's clear that Brady knows football: He's a seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time league MVP and as "well respected as anyone has ever been in any sport." But Buck said moving from the field to the booth is a "new job" that requires "a new way of thinking about a game."
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"There's new things you have to think about ... knowing football is about fourth on the list," Buck said.
He continued: "You have to get the mechanics of it... It’s what are you looking at, how are you going to present it, how fast can you do it, can you do it before the next snap? There have been guys thiat seem to be computer-made to do analysis of an NFL or college game that haven’t been so great.”
Buck added that he "would never bet against" Brady and that "he'll be great."
Brady retired for good from the NFL in February following 23 seasons with the New England Patriots (2000-2019) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-2022).