The NFL rumor mill is churning up a million ideas about next year’s broadcast booths. With Tom Brady sliding into Greg Olsen’s place at Fox, Nick Saban in retirement, and the future uncertain for Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, multiple legendary football minds could be on the move in 2024. But longtime NFL insider Peter King of NBC believes one popular idea is a no-go.
King appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday and explained why the dream of a three-man Fox booth, including both Brady and Olsen alongside Kevin Burkhardt, is unrealistic.
Because of the salary difference between the two retired NFL stars and the fact that Olsen is so highly regarded already, King said, the three-man booth could really embarrass Brady.
“Brady obviously is making whatever it is, $37 million, and it would kind of seem absurd that the guy who everybody right now thinks is one of the best or the best (Olsen), making a quarter of what the big star is making and outshining him in the booth,” King explained. “It would just seem pretty weird to me.”
While Patrick offered the idea of putting Brady on the studio show so people can see and tune in for Brady without running the risk that his commentary is subpar, King pointed out the color analyst rarely moves the needle on broadcast numbers anyway.
“I don’t know who actually looks at a game and says, I’m more eager to watch this because I love the analyst,” King said. “Maybe some people did that with John Madden, I don’t know. But I tend to think the vast, vast, vast majority are going to tune in if Bozo the Clown is the analyst on the game.”
King also highlighted how disrespectful it would be to limit Brady’s role based on how hard he has worked to prep for the NFL booth.
On Tuesday, Brady appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and confirmed he will join the booth this year. He discussed the practice broadcasts he has done with Burkhardt. Brady added he had picked the brains of many broadcasters and other football minds in his year away from the game.
Right now, anything besides a two-person booth featuring Burkhardt and Brady would be an upset.
[The Dan Patrick Show on YouTube]
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.