If Tom Brady continues to display such uncanny predictive powers, he’s going to kill it as an NFL analyst.
While speaking at Fanatics Fest in New York City on Friday, the seven-time Super Bowl champion participated in a Q&A with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and discussed what he can and can’t say on TV as an NFL analyst.
Brady explained that he couldn’t call a player “horrible” because “there’s parents and there’s family members.”
“I don’t want to always necessarily say it that way,” said Brady, who was signed to a 10-year, $375 million contract as Fox’s lead NFL analyst. He then brought up a hypothetical, using himself as an example.
“Let’s say I threw a really bad interception. I would walk to the sideline and (say to myself), ‘You are the worst quarterback in the world. How could you possibly make that throw? That was terrible!'” Brady said. “But I just don’t want to be so critical (as an analyst) because, in some ways, I don’t necessarily know exactly what the problem was on that play.
“Let’s say, Daniel Jones throws an interception …”
The comment had the Javits Center crowd erupting with laughter, probably from New York Jets fans.
New York Giants QB Daniel Jones catching strays from Tom Brady at #FanaticsFest pic.twitter.com/vWB7qX7I6R
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) August 16, 2024
“I wasn’t even being critical of Daniel Jones,” Brady said to the crowd. “Maybe I was a little bit.”
Brady’s quips were prescient.
In the Giants’ second preseason game Saturday against the Houston Texans, Jones completed 11 of 18 passes for 138 yards but threw two interceptions, including a ghastly INT for a five-yard touchdown return in a 28-10 loss.
Jalen Pitre with the pick-6 ‼️
📱: Stream #NYGvsHOU on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oYafzSWyjG
— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2024
An inexcusable pick six like that is the type of mistake a former No. 6 overall pick shouldn’t be making in his sixth NFL season.
The game was Jones’ first since tearing his right ACL last November. Giants head coach Brian Daboll wasn’t about to make any excuses for his starting QB, calling the throw a “poor decision.”
#Giants Brian Daboll on Daniel Jones’ first INT, for a pick-6 pic.twitter.com/uBPDcchXU4
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) August 17, 2024
After their surprising playoff run in 2022 during Daboll’s first season, the Giants chose to invest in Jones over running back Saquon Barkley, who left in free agency this summer for the rival Philadelphia Eagles. General manager Joe Schoen doubled-down on the decision to stick with Jones by drafting wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft.
The Giants hope to rebound from a disappointing 6-11 record, but if the season goes sideways again with Jones behind center, there will be plenty of criticism to go around. And it will be Brady’s job, as the new No. 1 analyst for Fox, to call it out.
Brady is scheduled to make his NFL broadcasting debut on September 8, when the Dallas Cowboys kick off the season against the Browns in Cleveland.