Former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman has dismissed concerns about Tom Brady’s dual roles as a Fox analyst and Las Vegas Raiders part-owner. His perspective stems from similar situations he faced during his broadcasting tenure.
Aikman, who won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s, called six Super Bowls for Fox before moving to ESPN in 2022. Brady stepped into Fox’s lead analyst role in the fall of 2024, combining those duties with his Raiders ownership.
Speaking on “The Ryen Russillo Podcast” on Friday, Aikman addressed the brewing controversy over Brady’s unprecedented position.
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“Is there a big conflict? I don’t think so,” Aikman said. “I don’t think there is.”
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Aikman revealed his own experience with Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks to support his stance. He received clearance to pursue NFL team ownership while serving as Fox’s lead analyst. The single restriction: ownership would be prohibited for teams playing in a Fox-broadcast Super Bowl.
Troy Aikman advises Tom Brady who debuts Super Bowl as a broadcaster
As Tom Brady prepares for his first Super Bowl broadcast between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Aikman highlighted the challenges ahead.
“For anyone who’s played in a Super Bowl, to say, ‘Well, yeah, it’s like any other game,’ – they’ve not played in it because it’s not,” Aikman said on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast. “The timing is very different, the halftime is very different, everything is.”
Brady’s experience of playing in Super Bowls could give him an edge.
“I always said as a player that I don’t think you can ever play in enough Super Bowls to where it just becomes another game. Tom Brady might be that one guy who can say that,” Aikman added.
Addressing the NFL side of Brady’s role, Aikman pointed out potential benefits.
“When you’re an analyst, you get a chance to interact and see those coaches a little bit more,” he said. “So Tom, knowing him, had done his homework. So he had a better idea of what he thought the Raiders should be looking for.”
The debate over Brady’s dual roles has subsided since the Raiders missed out on head coach candidate Ben Johnson. Brady had called Johnson’s game in the NFC Divisional round.
The upcoming Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9 will mark Brady’s first championship game in the broadcast booth.
Edited by Krutik Jain
