Tom Brady seems to close door on Fox speculation

Retired quarterback Tom Brady once again heavily indicated he's all-in on replacing fan-favorite Greg Olsen as Fox's lead NFL analyst beginning next season. 

"I’ve got a big broadcasting job that’s going to start in September," Brady said during the latest edition of his "Let's Go!" SiriusXM show and podcast, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I’m already working hard on trying to make sure I’m ready for that opportunity, and I’m prepared mentally and emotionally for that challenge. Because it is a challenge. It’s something that’s new, it’s outside of my comfort zone. And I’m excited to get out there and try something and see how I do." 

Brady offered similar comments throughout the second half of 2023, but New York Post sports media columnist Andrew Marchand somewhat suggested as recently as earlier this week that there's still at least a little uncertainty regarding TB12's commitment to Fox even though the seven-time Super Bowl champion is reportedly set to earn $375M via a 10-year deal with the network. 

Per Jeff Kotuby of Barrett Sports Media, former Patriots defensive back and current NFL analyst Devin McCourty said during a recent appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" that he's heard Brady is "studying" and "preparing" to work for Fox. Marchand wrote for a piece published Monday that "sources" revealed Brady spent portions of this season "studying" broadcasts. 

"But it’s got to be about what my preparation is and what my work ethic is," Brady added. "And hopefully a lot of the things that I’ve done in my career have prepared me for that. And there’s an exciting part about that for me, which, when I get out of bed in the morning, man, I’m ready to go. And I wanna create a to-do list. And, OK, these are the things I’m gonna do today and this is how I ultimately want to actualize my potential in this area of my life."

Brady teasing over the weekend that he "was about to unretire" for a second time this past May likely convinced at least a handful of skeptics that he isn't fully ready to close the door on possibly playing for a contender next season. While that's understandable, there's no sign Brady wants to go through the grind of preparing for and experiencing a full campaign as an active player after he turned 46 years old in August 2023.