Tom Brady made a brutal ‘discovery’ about his Fox Sports contract on Sunday – as the NFL legend was informed he’d have to work on Thanksgiving.
Brady, who called the Packers’ win over the 49ers for the network earlier in the afternoon, appeared on Fox’s ‘The OT’ postgame show when host Curt Menefee dropped some big news on him.
‘Hey Tom, [Michael] Strahan’s first year, he learned that he actually had to work on Thanksgiving Day,’ Menefee began.
‘He thought he had it off. Did they tell you that before you came? You have to work on Thanksgiving Day this year!’
Brady then pretended to make a shocked face before saying, ‘What?’
Tom Brady pretended to be shocked after being informed he’d have to work on Thanksgiving
Brady is seen walking across Lambeau Field before the Packers beat the 49ers on Sunday
He then laughed off the joke from Menefee before Strahan jokingly suggested they skip work and have Thanksgiving together.
Brady is in his first year as Fox Sports’ lead NFL analyst following his retirement from the NFL in February 2023.
He signed a 10-year, $375million deal before finally beginning to call games this fall.
Brady was criticized by fans earlier in the season as he debuted on air.
He acknowledged in a YouTube video on his channel that his first showing – in which he called a Cowboys-Browns games – had some room for improvement.
‘Certainly a lot of fun, definitely some things to clean up,’ he said. ‘So it’s all a learning process.’
Brady’s broadcasting role has also come under fire given his part-ownership with the Raiders, which was officially approved by NFL owners last month.
Due to that commitment, Brady cannot attend teams’ practices or production meetings with players or coaches – as is customary for broadcasters to do.
He is also not permitted to criticize game officials and other clubs, while he is subject to the NFL’s gambling and anti-tampering policies.
Brady also found himself embroiled in controversy when he used offensive language to refer to Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
‘Sometimes he played like a spaz, like a grade-schooler on a sugar high, but now he’s controlled the chaos,’ he said last month.
‘Spaz’ is a slang term which is an abbreviation of the word ‘sp*stic,’ that is an offensive term often used to someone who is awkward or clumsy. It is considered to be an ableist slur.
Brady was not disciplined by Fox for the incident.