Tom Brady makes Fox broadcast debut as analyst during UFL championship

Tom Brady was back at a football game Sunday, but farther from the field as he made his debut as a Fox Sports analyst during the UFL’s championship game.

His appearance in the booth came roughly three months before he’s slated to make his NFL broadcasting debut as Fox’s lead analyst during the Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 8.

Brady, 46, will call the network’s “biggest NFL games” with play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt after reaching a long-term agreement — a reported 10-year, $375 million deal — in 2022.

On Sunday, he joined announcers Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt for the matchup between the Birmingham Stallions and San Antonio Brahmas, which the Stallions won in a 25-0 shutout in St. Louis.

“Bring in a little instant offense,” Menefee said to introduce Brady during the second quarter with the game scoreless. “You know him, you love him: Tom Brady. … So far, what are your impressions of this early going championship game?”

Tom Brady is already looking pretty comfortable at his new gig 👏

He's making his commentator debut for @FOXSports at the UFL Championship Game.

🎥 @TheUFL pic.twitter.com/4Hk6fqcMUX

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 16, 2024

“They’re all a little different,” Brady said. “You get into these games and there’s a lot of defense out there right now. … But someone’s gotta get the ball down the field and try to open this field up a little bit.

“It’s a lot of horizontal passes, and the defenses are swarming and trying to punch the ball out. So, make them defend every blade of glass. That’s what we used to say.”

The seven-time Super Bowl champion also appeared on the stage after the Stallions’ victory — their third straight title — to present the MVP award to Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez.

Required reading

(Photo: Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images)