Tom Brady may be the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, but when it comes to broadcasting, he’s still the rookie.
With his first Super Bowl in the booth just days away, two legendary voices – Troy Aikman and Al Michaels – have weighed in on what Brady should expect when he calls Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Brady, who already has seven Super Bowl rings, reached out to Aikman for advice before stepping into his new role this season.
Now, with his biggest assignment yet, the ESPN analyst and former Cowboys quarterback offered more insight during an appearance on Jimmy Traina’s Sports Illustrated Media Podcast.
Aikman, who called six Super Bowls for FOX, emphasized that while Brady is no stranger to high-stakes moments, broadcasting the biggest game of the year is an entirely different challenge.
“For anyone who’s played in a Super Bowl, to say that ‘Well the Super Bowl is just like any other game,’ they’ve not played in it. Because it’s not,” Aikman admitted.
“As soon as you win the championship game, you know that Super Bowl is unlike any other game that you’ll play in. And the same is true as a broadcaster.”
Aikman explained that the rhythm of the day is completely different from a regular-season or even a playoff broadcast.
“The entire day is different,” he continued. “When you first do your hit on the pregame or even right before you go on-air, the timing is very different. The halftime is very different.
“But eventually, like it does as a player, things settle in. You’re ramped up to begin, there’s a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotion, and you just try to let the game unfold and ease into it.”
Aikman’s biggest tip? Preparation. It was the key to his success as both a player and broadcaster, and he believes Brady should approach this new challenge the same way.
“The more prepared I am, the better I feel about knowing both teams,” he added. “When you call a preseason game, it’s a different broadcast than when you call a regular-season game. When you call a postseason game, it’s a different broadcast than a regular-season game. And when you call a Super Bowl, it’s different than any other game you would call as well.”
Few broadcasters are more qualified to give Super Bowl advice than Al Michaels, who has called the game 11 times – second only to the late Pat Summerall.
Speaking with The Athletic, Michaels had his own words of wisdom for Brady as he prepares for his Super Bowl debut.
“I think he’ll feel much the way he did when he played,” Michaels said. “He’ll be ready to go and can’t wait for the buildup to end and for the game to start.
“Once he gets going, he’ll settle in and get into that comfort zone. … The platform will be his biggest, but the game will take him where he needs to go as a broadcaster.
“Maybe in the commercial breaks, lean back once in a while and savor the moment. That’s something he couldn’t do as a player. It’s exhilarating, so try to soak it all in.”
Brady has been adjusting to life as an analyst this season, calling games alongside Kevin Burkhardt for FOX.
While many fans have been critical, Michaels has been impressed with the former quarterback’s ability to engage the audience.
“Outstanding coming out of the gate,” Michaels told Sports Illustrated. “He had a nice flow with Kevin Burkhardt. I found it to be a very comfortable listen. People expecting Tom to deliver things from the Holy Grail, no. The game was not a compelling game.
“Tom did something that’s very hard to do,” he continued. “He kept the audience in a blowout, and a road blowout on top of that. Some of the things that Tom talked about in the fourth quarter made me not want to hit the remote to go to another game.
“I thought when he discussed how hard it was to play against a Mike Zimmer defense, he couldn’t have said it any better. Perfect. I think he had a very good sense of timing. I think for a debut, it was terrific.”
Brady’s attention to detail and deep football knowledge have been evident, and he’s steadily improving. Now, the ultimate test awaits…
Super Bowl LIX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Brady and Burkhardt will handle the call for FOX.
What are your overall thoughts on Brady’s first year as a broadcaster???
