Back in 2022, Tom Brady inked a record-breaking 10-year, $375 million broadcasting deal with FOX. Last NFL season was his first year in that role, and this is his first offseason in the shoes of a broadcaster. And he’s now learning that offseasons look a little different in the media world.
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For someone who epitomized loyalty in the NFL, Brady was a stranger to free agency for nearly two decades. Until the tail end of his football career, the GOAT never had to contend with the open waters of free agency. Then came 2020, when he finally dipped his toes into the open market, navigating his high-profile move to Tampa Bay.
But little did he know that just a few years later, he would have to keep tabs on free agency again. And it would become an annual responsibility. Now, Brady is tasked with tracking the chaotic movement of over 200 players across the league.
“This past week I learned that part of my job each off-season for FOX is going to be keeping track of all the players who changed teams during free agency. So far, more than 200 guys, many of them significant contributors, will be suiting up for a different team next season,” the former QB wrote in his weekly newsletter [199].
Brady’s debut offseason as a learning broadcaster couldn’t have been more challenging and chaotic.
From the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning defense being dismantled to the Seahawks’ surprising offensive overhaul with Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, he has had plenty of storylines to keep tabs on.
Even his old team, the Patriots, has undergone a dramatic transformation, bringing in a dozen new players under the leadership of Mike Vrabel, whom Tom Brady considers his “practice nemesis.” Could you blame him?
That said, Brady’s offseason assignments have also given him the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane to 2020, when he meticulously ranked and graded over 20 factors before choosing Tampa Bay.
Brady’s words of wisdom on navigating free agency
From the quality of the roster to weather and fiscal compensation, Brady revealed in his newsletter that he graded twenty things about the Bucs on a weighted scale from 1 to 3 before packing his bags for The Sunshine State.
“The presence of skill players was a 3 in terms of importance, for example, and the Bucs graded out as a 3 because of guys like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The same was true for the head coach… Game day weather was a 2, practice weather was a 3. Financial compensation was on the list, obviously, but it wasn’t first.”
After detailing his free agency approach, Brady had a simple piece of advice for the players looking to make a move right now—have clear priorities.
“Just take a step back and look at how you allocate your time, effort, and emotional energy. Those choices reflect your priorities.”
According to the GOAT, many players fail in free agency because they don’t take the time to assess what truly matters to them until it’s too late. So the best bet would be to take some time, do a SWOT analysis or a customized evaluation like Brady did, as it would allow them to choose their next team with ultimate satisfaction — something DeMarcus Lawrence says he has done this season.
Jokes aside, it’s heartening to see Tom Brady embracing new challenges with such vigor. Yes, it will be tough for the GOAT to dissect the nuances of player decisions, but if there’s one thing we know about him, it’s that he thrives on preparation.
