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Tom Brady is free... at least when it comes to his work as a sports analyst. Since he debuted in the Fox Sports booth, Brady has had to overcome some restrictions that the rest of his colleagues did not have; however, the NFL has decided to relax its rules, allowing him full access to the teams during Super Bowl LIX.
After his retirement at the end of the 2023 season, the former New England Patriots quarterback fulfilled two of his dreams. The first was to become a sports analyst, thanks to a million-dollar contract he signed with Fox Sports.
The second was to become the owner of an NFL team. Although he is only a minority shareholder of the Las Vegas Raiders, it came at a cost. As an owner, he does not have access to the production meetings of the teams he will cover as an analyst, something that the rest of his colleagues can do.
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NFL gives Tom free rein
A few days before Kansas City and Philadelphia meet in Super Bowl LIX, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt recalled that when Brady became a Raiders shareholder, the rest of the owners discussed at length how much freedom the former player would have as a commentator.
In the end, they decided to restrict his access to the teams; however, that has just changed. "Since he's doing the game this week, we have no issue with him being in our production meetings," Hunt explained. "He'll have the access that any broadcaster would have."
At the time, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell highlighted the way Brady had adapted to the restrictions. "He calls frequently about it and says, 'Am I doing OK?' And I think he's serious about making sure that he separates these two and he doesn't put the league or anyone in a position of conflict."
It's been a difficult transition for Brady
The learning curve has been very steep for the Patriots great. His first few games earned him criticism for his lack of ease and his extreme rigidity. Not only that, he has also made mistakes that have brought him backlash from colleagues and fans, but, true to form, Brady has not given up.
As in his time as a player, his perseverance and preparation have paid off. Now he is just a few days away from commentating his first Super Bowl and, as an added incentive, without the restrictions that had made his life unnecessarily difficult.