Brady says he’ll start with Fox Sports in ’24
Tom Brady will not go immediately from the playing field to the broadcast booth.
He told Colin Cowherd’s “The Herd” on Monday 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 Patriots and 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. Fox, which is carrying its 10th Super Bowl, also has Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans after the 2024 season.
Flores to run Vikings’ defense
The Vikings hired Brian Flores as their defensive coordinator, 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 the Steelers, after three years as head coach with the Dolphins. After he was fired by the Dolphins, Flores, who is Black, filed a classaction lawsuit alleging racial discrimination by the team and the NFL.
Flores replaces Ed Donatell, who was fired last month by coach Kevin O’Connell after one year together. The Vikings ranked second-worst in the league in yards allowed and fourth-worst in points allowed during the regular season.
† The Saints named Joe Woods their new defensive coordinator. Woods had been the Browns’ defensive coordinator under coach Kevin Stefanski since 2020.
Payton wants Wilson’s QB coach out
Sean Payton was introduced as the Broncos’ 20th head coach in franchise history and was asked about Russell Wilson’s personal quarterback coach — Jake Heaps — being on the premises in 2022, the worst statistical season of Wilson’s career.
“I’m not too familiar with that,’’ Payton said. “That’s foreign to me. That’s not going to take place. Our staff will be here, our players will be here and that will be it.’’
Payton is bringing an old-school style sown by his mentor, Bill Parcells, and steeped in discipline and accountability.
Cards WR, Bengals great Green retiring
Seven-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green retired after 12 seasons in the NFL. The 34-year-old spent a decade with the Bengals before signing with the Cardinals for the last two seasons of his career. Green finishes with 10,514 yards receiving — which ranks 44th in NFL history — and 70 touchdown catches.
Madden sim says Eagles win Super Bowl
Madden NFL 23’s official Super Bowl simulation predicted the Eagles to beat the Chiefs 31-17. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the game’s MVP with two touchdown passes and a TD run.