Tom Brady’s ‘NFL on Fox’ Job Performance in Year 2 Earns Grade From Legendary Producer
Tom Brady is arguably the greatest player in the history of the National Football League.
The future Hall of Famer's resume is second to none: seven Super Bowl rings, five Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP awards, 15 Pro Bowl selections, to name just a few of his many accomplishments.
Not surprisingly, Brady was highly sought after for a job in the booth following his headline-making retirement in February 2023. FOX Sports ultimately landed the big kahuna, and the network shelled out big bucks to land him with a 10-year deal reportedly worth $375 million.
Unfortunately for Brady, his on-field prowess didn't translate in the booth alongside FOX's lead NFL play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. And it didn't take long for many to wonder if FOX made a huge mistake in shelling out so much cash for an NFL legend who, at the time, had yet to show any real promise that he could do the job.
The criticism flowed from all corners: NFL fans, media critics, and, oddly enough, even one of his counterparts. Many felt Brady was reacting to the plays unfolding on the field, rather than offering fluid, expert analysis immediately after a play.
When he did offer his take, it was choppy, or he would lose his train of thought.
What They're Saying Now
Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel spoke to legendary producer Richi Zyontz, who is on the record singing Brady's praise, though he prefaces said praise by offering a grain of salt.
"Look, I'm inside, I'm biased… but to say he's improved doesn't do justice to where he is as an analyst," Zyontz told Front Office Sports. "He's excellent right now."
That being said, praise from the likes of Zyontz speaks volumes. He's been at FOX Sports for over 40 years. He was there when the legendary duo of the late Pat Summerall and John Madden set the bar for NFL announcers.
In short, Zyontz knows what he's talking about, and he's not putting his reputation on the line for the sake of giving his lead NFL analyst some good publicity. So, if Zyontz is heaping praise on Brady, it's not only authentic, it's legitimate.
And earned.
Tom Brady has become so much more listen-able. His pure emotion has finally dove-tailed with his sublime, so insightful NFL savvy.
— Jim Corbett (@ByJimCorbett) December 21, 2025
Proud to hear THE REAL Tom Brady finally announce himself to NFL fans as the one-of-a-kind QB/leader he always was in New England and Tampa Bay????????????
Brady's Improvements
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is no longer just reacting to plays. He's anticipating, therefore allowing him to fully flesh out his analysis, rather than offering an instant reaction that, last year, included a lot of "Whoa!" and "Oh!" literally as plays unfolded.
"There are parts of the game where he just takes over—getting inside the mind of Tom Brady at the line of scrimmage before a play," Zyontz tells FOS. "Anticipating, not just reacting."
Zyontz says a lot of credit also goes to his partner, Burkhardt, and their genuine chemistry, which the legendary producer says is "not phony or a made-for-magazine-article phoney-baloney story."
And, just like with anything in life worth perfecting, getting the reps over and over again has helped Brady. A lot.
And it shows.