Anyone doubting that Tom Brady is ready to start his broadcasting career might want to start preparing to hear the legendary quarterback's voice in the fall.
Brady pushed his start date back to 2024 shortly after announcing his second and final retirement in 2023, leading some to believe he was keeping his options open for a change of heart or even a potential return to the field. With the 2024 season now less than four months away, all of that speculation has fallen by the wayside.
Brady now knows exactly where and when he will make his Fox debut as a color analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt, and it won't come in a city Brady called home during his NFL career.
Here's what you need to know about Brady's broadcasting debut and the remainder of his Fox schedule in 2024.
When will Tom Brady broadcast NFL games for Fox?
Brady is set to make his broadcasting debut for Fox on Sept. 8, when the Browns host the Cowboys in a Week 1 battle. Fox analyst Michael Strahan made the announcement on Monday.
LFG! 😤
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 13, 2024
EXCLUSIVE: @MichaelStrahan announces that the @dallascowboys will face the Cleveland @Browns in Week 1 to mark @TomBrady's FOX Sports broadcasting debut.
📺: Catch the full 2024 @NFL Schedule release Wednesday, May 15 at 8p ET on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/n6oJ0wUMrB
That's right — Brady is getting "America's Team" in his booth debut, but it won't be at Jerry World. Instead, Brady will get behind the microphone at sponsor-less Cleveland Browns Stadium in a battle of two 2023 playoff teams.
Both the Browns and Cowboys suffered disappointing first-round exits last season after terrific finishes to the regular season. Cleveland exceeded expectations at 11-6 despite a multitude of key injuries, while the Cowboys won the NFC East and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference.
Both teams aren't necessarily guaranteed to get back there. The jury is still out on Browns QB Deshaun Watson, who has battled injuries and inconsistency in his two seasons in Cleveland, while the Cowboys had a surprisingly quiet offseason with more notable losses than impactful additions. The playoffs remain the expectation for each, however, and millions of eyes will be on Cleveland in what will be Fox's Game of the Week.
Brady's arrival to the broadcast scene only adds to the anticipation. Some former players have stepped into the broadcast booth and excelled, while plenty of others have struggled. Seven Super Bowl rings don't necessarily guarantee a majority will enjoy Brady's analysis, though there's no doubt he knows what he's talking about after outsmarting opponents for more than two decades.
MORE: Strength of schedule for all 32 teams in 2024
Tom Brady Fox broadcasting schedule
Brady's broadcast schedule will become more clear on Wednesday when the complete NFL schedule is revealed, but it might not be definitive beyond Week 1.
The release of the full schedule should give an indication, however, of some games that could be strong candidates for Fox's "Game of the Week" status, given only a handful of games start in the customary 4:25 p.m. ET time slot each week.
Cowboys fans can tell you many of their games wind up in that "Game of the Week" slot, and we already know Sept. 8 won't be the last Cowboys game Brady calls in 2024. Based on each year's alternating schedule, Fox is in line to broadcast Dallas' traditional Thanksgiving game after it was broadcast by CBS in 2023.
The Cowboys also face the Buccaneers in 2024, which could be one way for Brady to call a game involving one of his former teams. Squeezing the Patriots into a "Game of the Week" slot might be tougher. Despite the arrival of QB Drake Maye, New England isn't likely to be featured in many prime slots after an ugly 2023 season, but Brady and Burkhardt could call some early-afternoon games during weeks in which CBS has the doubleheader.
