Tom Brady’s long-awaited broadcasting debut comes to NFL fans live from Cleveland on Sunday, in a matchup of two teams that went a combined 3-14 against Brady during his legendary career.
The Cowboys and Browns each enter 2024 with playoff expectations after disappointing wild-card exits in the playoffs eight months ago, and a victory on Sunday could set one team on a path to another double-digit win season.
For those who aren’t fans of either franchise, Brady’s debut in the booth might be just as compelling as the game on the field. The future Hall of Famer received a colossal 10-year, $375 million contract from Fox to call games alongside Kevin Burkhardt despite no experience doing the job. Will the network’s investment pay off?
There’s no doubt Brady is one of football’s most intelligent minds if seven Super Bowl rings are any indication, but that knowledge isn’t always everything when it comes to broadcasting.
The Sporting News is tracking the highlights and best moments from Tom Brady’s broadcasting debut during Cowboys vs. Browns. Follow along below as the game plays out.
MORE: Watch Cowboys vs. Browns live with Fubo
Tom Brady live updates, highlights, best moments from Cowboys vs. Browns
(All times Eastern)
7:05 p.m. — Hard to dispute this…
Tom Brady could walk down from the announcing booth, no stretching, no warmups, no pads and be an upgrade for the Browns at quarterback
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 8, 2024
6:35 p.m. — Brady’s raw reaction to a near 71-yard field goal attempt was cool, but Scott Hanson has a point. He didn’t exactly meet the moment (or the moment that almost was).
Scott Hanson did not think Tom Brady was excited enough for Brandon Aubrey’s 71-yard field goal attempt.
Aubrey just hit from 66 but it was called off due to a delay of game. The Cowboys decided against the 71-yard try after the time-out.pic.twitter.com/EEHr1bWnRn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2024
6:22 p.m. — Fox probably didn’t envision Brady’s broadcasting debut being this lopsided, but the Cowboys have opened up a 27-3 lead over the Browns.
6:00 p.m. — Brady is definitely receiving some mixed reviews in his debut, but this is true: he’s not overcorrecting with noise or overstepping Burkhardt.
I like Tom Brady in the booth. It’s smart. He’s not pressing and screaming w faux excitement. Let’s Kevin talk then steps in. Easy, intelligent call. Just my two cents 🤷🏼♀️
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) September 8, 2024
5:26 p.m. — This was a nice, succinct breakdown by Brady after a Micah Parsons sack:
Tom Brady breaking down Micah Parsons’ sack: “This guy deals with more double teams than anyone. He’s just too athletic. This is what you deal with when you’re a great rusher … ‘You get two on you, you know what, put two on me, it doesn’t matter.’” pic.twitter.com/hcEsA4vj8g
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 8, 2024
5:10 p.m. — Brady circles Myles Garrett right before Garrett sacks Prescott, so credit to him for that.
5:01 p.m. — The Browns and Cowboys trade punts after the touchdown, so there haven’t been too many fireworks for Brady to call. Deshaun Watson is 4-of-5 for just 23 yards for the Browns.
4:46 p.m. — Brady drops a Tony Romo-esque “OHHHH” as Brandin Cooks runs into the end zone for a touchdown. He lets the moment settle for a few seconds before sharing his thoughts.
4:43 p.m. — Plenty of penalties early in this game, so that’s keeping Brady on his toes.
4:41 p.m. — Brady’s cadence is a little bit off, with some unusual gaps between words in the middle of his sentences. It’s going to take some time for him to settle in, to no surprise.
4:33 p.m. — Here was Brady’s open, talking about Prescott’s contract and the expectations the Cowboys QB will face. He didn’t talk much about himself.
The first moments of @TomBrady‘s broadcasting debut 👏 (via @NFLonFOX)
📺: #DALvsCLE on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/yeEfYMwJw8— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
4:28 p.m. — A sack of Prescott forces Brady into analyst mode again. He sounds a little choppy, but obviously he knows better than just about anyone how to deal with pressure as a quarterback and explains what Prescott could (or couldn’t) do about it.
4:27 p.m. — Brady starts the day by briefly breaking down Prescott’s 2023 season, hours after Prescott landed a historic extension. The Cowboys are starting with the ball.
4:20 p.m. — Brady and Kevin Burkhardt are getting ready to go in Cleveland with kickoff now five minutes away.
2:45 p.m. — Brady will get to talk about the NFL’s new highest-paid player, as Dak Prescott agreed to a massive four-year, $240 million contract extension with the Cowboys earlier today. More than 96 percent of the deal is guaranteed.
2:30 p.m. — Tom Brady is ready to roll from Cleveland.
Tom Brady just walked thru press box with a game face on. Looked as intense as when he was playing.
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) September 8, 2024
Cowboys vs. Browns start time
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 8
- Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Location: Huntington Bank Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
The season opener for the Cowboys and Browns will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET from the newly-renamed Huntington Bank Stadium in Cleveland on Sunday.
How to watch Tom Brady’s broadcasting debut
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: Fubo
Brady is the color analyst on Fox’s top NFL broadcasting team, so his broadcasting debut can be found on Fox. Cowboys vs. Browns is set to kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET from Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Fans looking to stream the game can watch it with Fubo, which offers a free trial.
