“I have a good time with T.B. just because I’ve known him for a while off the field, so I can kind of poke fun at him, throw some jabs.”
The biggest focus on the NFL media landscape this season has undoubtedly been on Tom Brady — and less so on his teammates at Fox Sports. It would always be an adjustment for everyone involved, especially with Brady replacing Greg Olsen, who had immersed himself on Fox’s No. 1 team for a few seasons before being relegated to the No. 2 team alongside Joe Davis.
It’s been a mixed bag for Brady thus far. He was deemed a work-in-progress, but he has certainly gotten better as time passes—despite some of the yelling that makes him sound like Tony Romo.
As Brady has gotten more comfortable in his role as an analyst, he’s gotten more comfortable with his teammates. That includes but is not limited to on-air teammates Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi. Andrews, the longtime NFL on Fox sideline reporter, has openly admitted struggling with her confidence in the opening season broadcast.
Since then, Andrews and company have been getting back on the horse. She spoke recently with SportsCasting’s Kyle Odegard about how that chemistry with Burkhardt—and Brady—among others, has really grown since the season started, which is now going on six weeks.
“…Tom (Brady) is new this year. Although I knew him off the field for many years, it’s trying to integrate him into our family and our friendships – because we very much are (a family) in our crew,” Andrews said. “We all make fun of each other, we can all take it, we all throw a punch back. It’s a good time.
“So just bringing him in and making everyone feel comfortable, it takes time. That’s something Tom talked about in our 49ers-Cardinals broadcast. It’s something that (Arizona Cardinals head coach) Jonathan Gannon is trying to do, and I’m trying to do it.
“I have a good time with T.B. just because I’ve known him for a while off the field, so I can kind of poke fun at him, throw some jabs, where maybe some of my teammates are trying to go easy on him in the beginning. But now we’re all starting to get really comfortable. It’s all about creating the chemistry within the team and building that as we go along.”
Initially, all eyes were on Brady—and rightfully so—but it’s becoming evident that this booth’s success hinges on their ability to work together seamlessly. That wasn’t going to happen overnight, with Olsen exiting the fold and Brady stepping into a role he’d never filled before, but with each broadcast, they’re proving that the chemistry is starting to click.