1 hour ago
3
Tom Brady, Bridget Moynahan's Son Jack, 19, Towers Over Her at US Open 2026
Was Tom Brady silent, or was he silenced?
While the NFL alum was commentating the face-off between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4—which saw the West Coast team emerge victorious—Brady went suddenly silent while breaking down a play.
His fellow commentator, Kevin Burkhardt, tried to smooth over the gaff by saying, “Sorry Tom, little mic issue. We’ll get back to that and show your protection lesson in a moment.”
Thankfully, Brady’s voice was only cut off for a few moments, with the Patriots alum soon noting, “Alright, I’m back, everyone, had a little technical difficulties.”
But while the moment appeared to be a typical audio glitch, upon returning from commercial break, Burkhardt wanted Brady to admit what really caused the fumble.
“You want to fess up?” he asked Brady. “The mic issue?”
To which the 49-year-old admitted, “Okay, my fault.”
The NFL Hall of Famer then held up an oversized black folder to the camera, adding, “I have this big, clunky board, which I have all this information about what I want to say all day and I dropped it on the talkback button.”
Unaware of his error in the moment, however, Brady had thought the source of the audio issue lay elsewhere.
“I’m sitting here going, ‘God, I can’t hear anyone, you guys?’” he recalled. “And it’s my fault the whole time. So that’s like a quarterback owning up to his mistake.”
Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
The on-air mistake comes four years into Brady’s 10-year deal with Fox Sports. Upon his second and official retirement from the NFL, in 2022 the former quarterback signed a decade-long commentating deal with the network, totaling $375 million.
And he isn’t the only former NFL star to turn to on-air coverage after hanging up their helmet—nor the first to apologize.
Recently, former Eagles player Jason Kelce found himself forgetting his time on the field was officially behind him while covering the Philadelphia team’s game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 28.
“I feel pretty good going into the half,” Jason told fellow analysts Pat McAfee and Scott Van Pelt during SPN's Monday Night Football. “We played really well.”
“Offensively, we had opportunities, we shot ourselves in the foot, but we’ve moved the ball, we ran the ball well, Jalen Hurts is throwing the ball well,” he continued. “Them getting the ball coming out of the half, I have a feeling they got a lot of momentum.”
But McAfee quickly picked up that Kelce wasn’t acting as an impartial judge, teasing, “A lot of ‘we’ talk out of Jason for Philly.”
And the New Heights host quickly copped to his misstep.
"Sorry, sorry. I forget,” Kelce admitted. “Sorry, Bears fans.”
As for what the likes of Brady, Kelce and more on-air personalitise rake in as commentators, read on.
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
Erin Andrews
More than two decades into her career, Erin Andrews still loves keeping up with the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL squads. "It's the best reality show out there," the sideline reporter raved to E! News in August 2025, sharing that she'd "just re-upped with Fox."
And her reported $2 million-a-year contract is just a piece of a playbook that includes endorsement deals, her Calm Down with Erin and Charissa podcast and the WEAR by Erin Andrews clothing line Taylor Swift has relied on to play cheer captain for husband Travis Kelce.
Plus, the gig is "so much fun," Andrews noted, sharing she loves teaming up with Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt. "We get to cover the best athletes in all of the world."
Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images
Tom Brady
The seven-time Super Bowl champ continued making big plays after hanging up his pads (for the second time) in 2023. After hauling in an estimated $333 million during his 23 seasons in the league, the NFL quarterback inked a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox in 2022.
Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Charles Barkley
Following 16 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, NBA power forward Charles Barkley netted a deal with TNT in 2000 for their Inside the NBA programming. In 2022, he scored a 10-year extension worth $210 million.
Photo by Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images
Tony Romo
"I still get a little nervous before broadcasting games," Tony Romo acknowledged to The Athletic in 2019 of kicking off his CBS Sports analyst gig following 14 seasons as Dallas' QB. "But I think postgame is the biggest difference. Now, I get on a plane and I am decompressing. After (playing) in a football game, I would be up until 4 a.m. doing every play in my mind."
The four-time Pro Bowler signed a 10-year, $180 million contract extension in 2020. However, he was placed on indefinite leave after a July 2026 arrest for operating a vehicle while impaired. Revealing he'd pled no contest, Romo shared on social media in September, "I own this completely."
Photo by Ella Hall/LSU/University Images via Getty Images
Pat McAfee
Clearly Pat McAfee has only improved his ball-handling skills since his days as a punter for the Indianapolis Colts. Juggling roles on ESPN's College GameDay, Monday Night Countdown and as host of The Pat McAfee Show means he could tackle upwards of $60 million per year.
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Maria Taylor
A two-sport athlete at the University of Georgia, basketball and volleyball standout Maria Taylor continues to bank in big plays. She signed a multi-year contract in 2025 when named NBC Sports' lead NBA and WNBA studio host. And though the stat sheet wasn't released, Taylor was previously making $1 million a year at ESPN.
Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
Shaquille O'Neal
The NBA big man's 7-foot-1 stature isn't the only thing that looms large. A decade-and-a-half into Shaquille O'Neal's tenure at TNT sports, the four-time champ ran a new play. With his 2025 deal, he'll net a reported $15 million per year.
Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Stephen A. Smith
It's hard to dunk on Stephen A. Smith's hustle. The onetime college point guard doesn't just talk the talk as an ESPN analyst. Thanks to roles on First Take, SportsCenter and NBA Countdown, he signed a five-year, $105 million contract with the network in 2025, rebounding an additional $36 million from SiriusXM for his self-titled radio show.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Troy Aikman
How 'bout that deal? After two decades at Fox, former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman called an audible in 2022. Agreeing to suit up for ESPN's Monday Night Football, the three-time Super Bowl champion signed a five-year contract worth upwards of $90 million.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
English (US) ·