Insider clarifies comments on Tom Brady calling NFL games for Fox

New York Post sports media columnist Andrew Marchand has clarified comments he made about Tom Brady possibly never calling NFL games as the lead analyst for Fox. 

"It is so much money that even for Brady it seems difficult to pass on," Marchand said of the 10-year deal reportedly worth $375M Brady and Fox agreed to in 2022. "But, as I said and I’m sure Brady wouldn’t find this part to be 'Fake News,' he wants to be around his kids and, let’s say he has the children two weeks at a time, it is difficult to be away from Friday-to-Sunday every week. And, as a rookie analyst, he is going to need to put in the work to be good. So, as I said, it 'fluctuates,' but this is my silly 'Brady Meter,' a fun thing we were talking about on the pod, not his."

Marchand generated headlines throughout the sports world when he said during a recent edition of "The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast" that conversations with people "close to Brady" made the columnist "kind of feel like I’m going more 49% chance (Brady) does it, 51% chance he doesn’t" ever call games for Fox. Marchand also said at that time he believes Brady doesn't want "to travel that much" to work roughly 20 games, including the playoffs, each NFL season. 

Brady took to Instagram to say any notion that he could back out of his Fox broadcasting deal is "fake news," and TMZ Sports reported Friday that the seven-time Super Bowl champion has "already dived headfirst into preparations for the role, despite being roughly 16 months away from starting the gig." 

Marchand acknowledged in Friday's piece he was merely giving an "informed opinion" on the podcast but also noted that "there are many people in the business skeptical that Brady actually does call games for Fox."

Marchand's update doesn't change the fact that Brady could eliminate any and all speculation about his future plans via a brief video released on social media if he wanted. The 45-year-old certainly seems to understand some are unconvinced he's going to remain retired from playing through the summer and into the start of the 2023 season, and he isn't silencing such chatter for whatever reasons this spring.