Former NBA pro encourages Tom Brady after rocky broadcasting start: ‘It’s ok to make a mistake on TV’

Peter Dewey
3 Min Read

Former NBA players and current Phoenix Suns color analyst Eddie Johnson offered some support for legendary quarterback Tom Brady after his broadcasting debut.

Brady called the Dallas Cowboys’ matchup with the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 after inking a massive 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox.

Johnson made the transition from being a professional athlete to the broadcast booth, and he clearly would know that it isn’t an easy transition to make. After playing 23 seasons in the NFL for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady was once again a “rookie” on Sunday calling his first game.

A three-time league MVP and 15-time Pro Bowler, Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He won six Super Bowls with the Patriots before heading to Tampa Bay and winning a title with the Buccaneers.

Brady led the NFL in passing touchdowns five times in his NFL career, including the 2021 season when he threw 43 scores in 17 games. He was 44 years old that season, and the legendary quarterback also led the NFL in passing yards. It’s extremely impressive he was able to put those numbers up at that age.

Now, Brady is learning a whole new world in the broadcast booth.

There have been other quarterbacks that have made the transition to broadcasting including Troy Aikman (currently with ESPN) and Tony Romo (currently with CBS).

It may take Brady a few weeks to get used to being in the booth, but hopefully fans will get to hear some of the insight that made him so dominant as a player.

It likely didn’t help that the Cowboys blew out the Browns in Week 1, winning 33-17. Dallas went up 27-3 early in the second half, and it never looked back.

Quarterback Dak Prescott had a solid game for the Cowboys, completing 19 of his 32 pass attempts for 179 yards and one touchdown. Dallas’ defense also came up big, sacking Deshaun Watson six times in the win.

It’s nice to see Johnson show his support for Brady, and maybe the legendary quarterback will reach out to others in the industry to help him work on his craft ahead of Week 2.

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Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.