Cris Collinsworth was a good, but not great, NFL receiver. Over his eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, he made three all-pro teams and played in two Super Bowls, with Cincy losing both times. Collinsworth had an excellent career, but his resume won’t get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
As a broadcaster, though, he’s one of the all-time greats, providing context that most viewers don’t possess in real time. He can break down coverage and explain zone-blocking schemes in ways that make viewers smarter about the game, and he can be unflinching in his criticism when he calls out poor decisions by players, coaches, or even officials. Greatness in the broadcast booth and greatness on the field are very different things. In other words, Tom Brady’s debut as a color commentator Sunday during the Cowboys season opener in Cleveland might be the first football-related test he actually fails in a very, very, very long time.
Collinsworth may be a better broadcaster than he was a player, but the path from the field to the booth can be unpredictable. Given that Brady’s debut comes in a Cowboys game—and because America’s Team has produced so many high-profile players turned TV analysts—let’s look at how Brady’s turn in the booth could play out, based on the highs and lows of former ‘Boys who made the same transition.
The Nightmare Scenario
Jason Witten is one of the most beloved players in Cowboys history, but the eleven-time Pro Bowler did not, to put it mildly, have what it takes to be a great announcer. During his single-season stint as an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football in 2018, Witten was a factory of mush-mouthed malapropisms (“pulled a rabbit out of his head” is an all-timer) that made the Hall of Fame–level tight end into a laughingstock.
Opinions on whether a broadcaster is good or bad at calling games are often simple matters of taste—presumably some of y’all read the previous section’s paean to the greatness of Collinsworth and couldn’t disagree more—but in Witten’s case, he was so objectively bad in the booth that his tenure ended with an alacrity he hadn’t displayed since an Eagles’ defender knocked his helmet off. By the time the 2019 season rolled around, Witten had unretired and was back to earning a living on the field.
Could Brady be as bad a broadcaster as Witten? Never say never! Brady has shown he’s personable on podcasts, and he gamely survived a Netflix roast (even if he later regretted his decision to participate). He was downright charming in last year’s comedy film 80 For Brady—but that was in a scripted role, where all he had to do was play himself. While Witten-like debuts are rare and Brady has reportedly spent much of the last year preparing for his new gig, anything is possible—as Brady proved with his journey from sixth-round draft pick to G.O.A.T. We won’t know what kind of TV personality Brady will be until he gets some live reps.
The Weird Scenario
Don Meredith was a popular Cowboys quarterback in the sixties—and a character for the ages in the broadcast booth. As one of the original Monday Night Football announcers, Meredith was teamed with the iconic Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford, and he provided a seemingly light-hearted contrast to the stentorian Cosell. Watch archival clips of the trio and you’ll get a sense of Meredith’s personality. When a game entered garbage time, he’d sing Willie Nelson’s “The Party’s Over” in a surprisingly resonant baritone. Dandy Don spoke in an accent that Matthew McConaughey clearly studied as he was growing up, free-associating his way through intros and breaking down the action in a way that seemed fairly appropriate for the groovy seventies.
Brady might have that much personality. We’ve never seen any evidence of it, but it could finally make us like the guy.
The Enthusiastic Scenario
Tony Romo’s transition from spending his Sundays breaking Cowboys fans’ hearts to spending them normalizing men telling their buddies that they love each other with Jim Nantz came quickly after the QB’s retirement in 2017. Similar what Brady will do, Romo jumped straight into the analyst’s chair on the network’s A-team broadcast, and he was, well, it really depends on what you want out of an announcer. Romo is a whiz at diagnosing plays before the ball is snapped, and that’s terrific for fans who want to learn to read offensive and defensive formations. For fans who prefer a game without spoilers, Romo’s shtick can feel obnoxious.
Romo is also known for occasionally meandering and riffing on weird tangents. He groans and giggles his way through high-pressure moments in games, apparently unable to calm his audible nerves. The former signal-caller roots hard, out loud, for every single quarterback, seeing the game almost exclusively from their perspective. Romo brings to the broadcast booth the eager energy of a golden retriever puppy, and that is either an incredible asset or the most annoying thing you’ve ever heard, depending on your taste.
Might Brady bring a similar approach to calling games? Maybe! Romo is several years into his career as a color commentator and he’s one of the most successful broadcasters in the business. It’s possible that a newcomer such as Brady might have studied hours of Romo footage while prepping for the gig.
The Masterful Scenario
There may be no better NFL commentator than Troy Aikman. The quarterback of those dominant, Super Bowl–winning Cowboy teams of the early and mid-nineties calls games with a calm, soothing voice and a confident, authoritative tone. He explains the game well without talking over the heads of casual viewers. His broadcast style is deliberately unspectacular in a way that allows fans to enjoy games with just enough necessary context to understand the teams’ strategic maneuvers—and without inserting a loud personality that might distract from the sport itself. There are more exciting broadcasters—Collinsworth and Romo both call games with their whole hearts on display—but no one is smoother, more professional, or downright competent than Aikman.
If Brady is anywhere near as good a broadcaster as he was a quarterback, then it’s possible he borrows heavily from Aikman’s cool, confident approach and learns to break down the action without forcing viewers to go, “That’s Tom Brady talking!” every time he opens his mouth. Reaching the Aikman level is a tall order, but one thing we know about Brady is that his legendary competitive streak rarely allows him to fail.
