Tom Brady isn’t going to throw shade at Patrick Mahomes.
And while Brady seems increasingly disinterested in criticizing the players he provides analysis on in Fox’s NFL booth, questions have been raised about his commitment to broadcasting. He believes he turned in a “great” debut year in 2024, one that was much maligned by us at Awful Announcing, but sees room to grow and improve.
But that doesn’t mean Brady is going to do his best Troy Aikman impression, either. And while a certain subset of fans and sports media critics alike wants to see a more off-the-cuff, less cautious version of Brady, Shannon Sharpe is OK with it. That is as long as Brady doesn’t make excuses for players at the quarterback position.
“That’s all we ask is that you don’t make excuses,” said Sharpe. “If Patrick Mahomes made a bad throw, say, ‘Patrick Mahomes made a bad throw.’ That’s all. I mean, he’s human. Michael Jordan took some bad shots. Didn’t play well. It’s right to say that that happened. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes — it does not matter — if a guy doesn’t play well, it’s your obligation, because you know what the casual fan at home doesn’t know.”
Brady’s reluctance to throw shade isn’t all that surprising. It’s not like he spent last season firing daggers at fellow QBs, unless they were Daniel Jones. But the bigger question isn’t whether he’ll tell it like it is; it’s always been about whether he’s truly committed to the analyst role. Many of us watching from the outside saw plenty of missed opportunities to dig deeper or push players harder.
The reality is, fans want authenticity. They want Brady to bring a little edge, not just play it safe and stick to scripted praise. They want him to be honest. If Brady can blend his insight with a bit more bluntness, he might just find his groove. Otherwise, it’ll feel like we’re getting a sanitized version of football’s greatest quarterback instead of the analyst we actually need.
“I don’t think that’s asking much for the guys that’s calling the game,” Sharpe continued. “And I know it’s hard, because here’s the thing: you can’t be too critical when you’re in that position, because then they won’t do production meetings with you. So, you have to work a very fine line if you do play-by-play or you do color, which Tom does color.
“So, you have to walk that (line). ‘Yeah, that was a bad throw. That’s not like Patrick Mahomes.’ You know what I’m saying? You gotta couch it. ‘I know what he saw on that one. That’s not like Patrick. A guy that’s played and won as many Super Bowls as he has, and MVPs, that’s not like him, so give the defense credit on that.'”
Sharpe added that today’s players are “so sensitive” when it comes to criticism, which is why he understands why analysts don’t dig deeper and call it as they see it. Again, not everyone has as much clout or goodwill as Troy Aikman, but that hasn’t given him a carte blanche to say whatever he wants to say. We know how he feels about bad quarterback play, but he’s also dealt with some blowback, too.
There’s also the sentiment that Brady critiquing Mahomes might be made more than what it is, inflated and overblown by the media. Of course, Sharpe and his co-host Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) are part of that same media. Sharpe is away from ESPN right now, temporarily leaving the network amid sexual assault allegations. He’s continued his Nightcap show with the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, but has since postponed his summer tour.
Stephen A. Smith is hopeful that Sharpe will be back on ESPN’s airwaves talking about what Tom Brady did — and didn’t say — during his 18 games in the booth (plus playoffs) for Fox. But for now, we’ll have to allow the legal process to play out amid multiple allegations.