Brady plans year off before going into TV
Edwards-Helaire is activated by Chiefs
LOS ANGELES — Tom Brady will not go immediately from the playing field to the broadcast booth. Brady told Colin Cowherd during Monday’s episode of “The Herd” on FS1 and Fox Sports Radio that he will not start his broadcasting career with Fox until the 2024 season.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion — who retired last week after a 23-year career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — signed a 10-year deal with Fox last May to become the network’s top analyst when he decided to quit playing for good.
Brady said that he didn’t want to immediately rush into announcing and that he wanted to catch up on some other parts of his life.
“I think one thing about my career whether it was when I was drafted by the Patriots or signing agreements with the Bucs, I wanted to be fully committed and I never wanted to let people down,” Brady said. “I want to be great at what I do, and that always takes some time and strategizing and learning and growing and evolving. I have so many people to rely on that could support me in that growth too.”
Brady is expected to eventually join Kevin Burkhardt on Fox’s top team. Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will call their first Super Bowl on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles.
FLORES TO VIKINGS: The Minnesota Vikings hired Brian Flores as their defensive coordinator on Monday, their first step toward trying to revive a once-dominant unit that ranked among the NFL’s worst last season.
Flores was a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach this season for Pittsburgh, after three years as head coach in Miami.
Prior to being hired by the Dolphins, Flores was an assistant for 11 seasons for New England, the last eight on the defensive side. The Patriots won four Super Bowls during his time there, which included four years as a scout.
CHIEFS MOVE: The Kansas City Chiefs activated running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire from injured reserve Monday and placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on the list for the second time as they finalize their roster for the Super Bowl.
Edwards-Helaire, a 2020 firstround pick, has been out since sustaining a high ankle sprain during a win over the Chargers on Nov. 20. He was designated to return on Jan. 17, opening a threeweek window in which he could be activated.
Edwards-Helaire started the first six games of the season before ceding time to seventhround pick Isiah Pacheco, who has become one of the Chiefs’ breakout stars. Edwards-Helaire has run 71 times for 302 yards and three touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 151 yards and three more scores this season.
CARDS’ GREEN RETIRES:
Seven-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green retired on Monday after 12 seasons in the NFL.
The 34-year-old spent a decade with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Arizona Cardinals for the last two seasons of his career.
Selected by the Bengals with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2011 draft out of Georgia, Green was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first seven seasons, topping 1,000 yards receiving six times.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pounder had a rare blend of size and speed and his low-key personality made him a favorite among teammates. He teamed with quarterback Andy Dalton to lead the Bengals to the playoffs every year from 2011 to 2015, though they never won a game in the postseason.
He finishes his career with 10,514 yards receiving — which ranks 44th in NFL history — and had 70 touchdown catches.