Tom Brady's playing career might be over, but we'll have to wait for the start of his venture into broadcasting.
Brady told FOX Sports 1's The Herd on Monday that he'll take a gap year and join the broadcast network for the 2024 season.
"I want to be great at what I do," Brady told Colin Cowherd. "I was talking even last week with the people at FOX Sports, and the leadership there allowing me to start my opportunity in the fall of 2024 is something that's great for me.
"So, (I'll) take some time to really learn, become great at what I want to do, become great at thinking about the opportunity and make sure I don't rush into anything."
The 2023 season will be the league's first without Brady involved in some fashion since 1999, when Brady was a senior at the University of Michigan. He recently announced his retirement after 23 seasons following the Buccaneers' ousting from the playoffs.
Last May, FOX Sports announced Brady would join the network as its No. 1 game analyst -- whenever his career ended. Brady's reported pay for the job -- a princely 10-year, $375 million contract -- made waves in the industry.
There has been speculation that FOX has a real conundrum on its hands, with Brady possibly derailing the impressive progress of current No. 1 game analyst, former tight end Greg Olsen. In 2023, Olsen is expected to remain in that spot, but the network's plans for Olsen and Brady might not be fully developed for 2024 yet.
Brady said Monday he wants to meet the lofty expectations levied on him with such a massive deal, which is a similar approach he's taken as a player with the Patriots and Bucs in a career that will land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in five years.
"I think one thing about my career, whether when I was drafted by the Patriots, or signing in free agency with the Bucs, I wanted to be fully committed, and I never wanted to let people down," Brady said. "I think my biggest motivator was that. So, even in the future, I want to be great at what I do, and that always takes some time and strategizing and learning and growing and evolving."
Brady also hinted at wanting to step away from the spotlight for a bit and spend time with family while preparing for broadcasting.
"I have so many people to rely on (for) that and support me in that growth, too," he said. "It's going to be a great opportunity for me to take some time to really certainly become (qualified) at my FOX broadcasting job, which I'm really looking forward to. But also catching up in other parts of my life that need some time and energy."
