For Tom Brady and Fox, Sunday was a first step towards a show that really counts

It's kind of endearing that the man who is considered the greatest NFL player of all time and has a 10-year, $375 million contract to commentate on football games seemed so nervous as he began his career as a commentator on Fox.

Tom Brady – the 47-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl winner – sounded like a rookie from the start on Sunday. His syntax was stilted. His interesting thoughts were limited. It was a bit awkward.

During the Dallas Cowboys' blowout victory over the Cleveland Browns, Fox cleverly put Brady on camera a few times—when you land a star like Brady, you have to show him!—but he missed a few opportunities to show off his humor and personality, which we're told former head coach Bill Belichick had in New England.

As commentator Kevin Burkhardt lured spectators into the locker room during the first half, Brady tried to emphasize his team-first mentality by raising his fist to bump into referee commentator Mike Pereira. Pereira looked away.

Brady kept his fist out and Pereira was eventually able to reach him, but it was fitting for Brady's debut – the timing was a little off.

Brady finally calmed down a bit and showed off his skills. In the second quarter, he declared “breathers” that were meant to give Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott a break from battling Browns All-Pro defensive lineman Myles Garrett by rolling out and moving away from the rush.

In garbage time, when the Cowboys were way ahead, he showed charisma and passion, apparently referencing Belichick when he quipped, according to a report by Erin Andrews, “I played for a coach who had no problem berating his players.” He then got serious about why that was a good thing, letting his competitive, do-it-right personality shine through.

While in today's social media environment it can seem like you only have five seconds to make a first impression, the reality is that Fox and Brady just need to improve his performance throughout the season so he's in top shape when the playoffs and Super Bowl roll around.

That was his time as a player. It's similar in broadcasting – especially if your station is broadcasting the Super Bowl.

Fox Sports is expected to draw about 28 million viewers for Sunday's game. Brady is expected to provide analysis to more than 100 million viewers on Super Bowl Sunday, February 9, 2025, in New Orleans.

If Brady's development continues from the first quarter to the fourth quarter, he should be fine. Brady gives Fox a lot to work with.

Fox Sports has already shown it can develop an off-field analyst for the Super Bowl booth. Burkhardt and Greg Olsen commentated on the big game two years ago and did it well.

Olsen was the No. 1 rookie this year, but had the advantage of having already played a full season with Burkhardt before his promotion.

Olsen, who was demoted to the No. 2 team and saw his salary cut from $10 million to about $3 million a year, was in attendance for the Pittsburgh Steelers' victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and delivered a masterful performance from all angles ahead of Brady's first appearance.

After agreeing to join Fox, Brady played one more season, retired, took a year off and, by all accounts, worked really hard to prepare for Sunday. During the NFL preseason, he commentated on two and a half games of live practice in August.

In the weeks leading up to the opening game, Fox Sports tried to temper expectations for Brady by limiting pregame chatter, but sources said the main message from its producers was that Brady should be himself. That's not as easy as it might seem in the fast-paced NFL world.

Covering an NFL game is all about simplifying the complicated. A football game is so complicated that head coaches often say they have to watch game film when they see all 22 players on the field at once.

To be a good game analyst, fans want to know inside information and analysis, no matter how it is explained in a way that is understandable and quick between plays. Brady, especially in the beginning, gave too much coaching, player talk, and talked about how you don't want to have negative yards and the players have to really step up.

He explored it, but of course he wasn't shown much mercy on social media and even other platforms.

Scott Hanson, host of the NFL channel “RedZone,” even got in on the action live and questioned Brady’s enthusiasm as the Cowboys considered a 71-yard field goal attempt to end the first half.

“Brady needs to have more enthusiasm in the locker room,” Hanson said.

That's not really Brady's problem. He showed enthusiasm. When Burkhardt shouted for a touchdown, he was heard saying “Ohhh!”

Generally, that's not what you want, as it prevents play-by-play coverage and a clear decision from the crowd. But it's cool to hear the player who is considered the best of all time celebrate a touchdown. Still, he has to wait a few more seconds. It's about finding his voice in the locker room.

After signing with Fox, Brady once spoke of being like Johnny Miller, the famously snarky golf analyst. He certainly wasn't like Miller on day one. The job isn't just to be critical, but Brady has failed to ask many questions.

Since his retirement, he has made some headline-grabbing observations, including that rookie quarterbacks aren't really ready to play their first season.

Early Sunday in Chicago, first-round draft pick Caleb Williams threw for just 93 yards in his debut, but the Bears won.

Brady's personal performance was similar to Williams'. For Fox, having Brady on the air was a win, even if his performance wasn't great.

Now there are still many weeks between his next game on Sunday and the Super Bowl. He and Fox have plenty of time. If he still sounds like a rookie on February 9, he won't be the only one nervous.

(Top image: Meech Robinson / The athlete; Photos: Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto via Getty Images; Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images)