Nov 22, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) look on in the second half against the New York Giants at Raymond James Stadium. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Since entering the broadcast booth, Tom Brady has faced immense pressure.

Whether you think the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a natural fit for broadcasting is beside the point. Fox did, and it made a high-stakes gamble on his football acumen being able to translate from the football field to millions around the nation. It has to some degree, but perhaps not at the pace that Brady and the general public would like it to.

Brady has faced no shortage of criticism as eyes (and ears) have been watching and listening to his every move since September. Those critiques haven’t been limited to his performance in the booth; questions about potential conflicts of interest have also clouded his future, raising speculation about whether his long-term plans lie in broadcasting or with the Las Vegas Raiders.

In any event, Tom Brady is facing unprecedented pressure—one that his former teammate has described as “unfair.”

In August, Rob Gronkowski boldly predicted that Brady would always bring his ‘A-game’ to broadcasting, pointing to the ample time Brady had to prepare for this next chapter. Yet, even with thorough preparation, the challenges of transitioning to the booth — amid restrictions — have put Brady in a difficult position.

And yet Gronkowski “loves” what Brady’s doing, as he told Crissy Froyd.

“He’s been developing throughout the whole year,” the NFL on Fox personality said. “He was like a rookie quarterback coming in as the No. 1 pick [when he went into broadcasting]—a lot of pressure. There’s no doubt about that. I think it was kind of unfair, some of the pressure he was getting at the beginning of the year.”

Even with a nearly $400 million contract, Gronkowski believes that the expectations set by media and fans alike were unfair for Brady to reach, at least in his first season in the media and broadcast booth alongside Kevin Burkhardt.

“Some of the expectations were extremely high to the point that everyone thought he was going to come in and be the best broadcaster of all time because of how much it was talked about,” Gronkowski said.

While Tom Brady has certainly shown progress as the season has gone on, the extent of his “tremendous improvement” since Week 1 is open to interpretation. It also depends on who you talk to. If you ask Rob Gronkowski, he’s full of praise for his former teammate, highlighting how much more comfortable he’s seen Brady become in the booth.

However, not everyone, including Awful Announcing’s readers, harbors that same view.

“He has shown tremendous improvement from Week 1 to now where he has such a great grasp of it that he can handle any situation, and it’s super enjoyable watching him succeed,” Brady’s former Patriots and Buccaneers teammate said. “He is going to absolutely dominate when it comes to the playoffs and the Super Bowl.”

Tom Brady didn’t exactly dominate in his first playoff game as a broadcaster, but whether he can in a game filled with conflicts of interest remains to be seen.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.