Tom Brady has faced some criticism in his rookie season as an NFL color commentator for Fox Sports. Thankfully, he's been able to tap media darling and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce for help.
'He's gently quizzed Travis for tips on how to be quick on his feet and keep the commentary exciting for fans,' a source familiar with the situation told Life & Style. 'It's about showmanship and Tom knows it.'
Like Brady, Kelce is a former Saturday Night Live host with extensive experience in the media. But whereas the retired quarterback has primarily appeared in commercials, Kelce has much more diverse experience that includes his successful podcast, New Heights.
'You gotta hand it to Tom – he knows when he needs help and he knows exactly where to go to ask for it,' the insider told Life & Style. 'The goal in Tom's first year on the air at Fox is to not embarrass himself and to not blow the handful of very big blockbuster games he'll be broadcasting this year. Nobody is pretending there isn't a steep learning curve when it comes to getting good on the air, live in front of millions of fans.'
Brady will be calling Kelce and the 5-0 Chiefs on Sunday as they host the 3-3 San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of last February's Super Bowl.
Fox Sports' Tom Brady before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions
Travis Kelce has a successful podcast on top of several other media endeavors
Brady's Week 1 debut drew mixed reviews, but he's steadily improved over the season, according to fans.
'Tom Brady is clearly quite nervous in his NFL broadcasting debut,' one X user wrote at the time. 'Kinda funny to remind yourself that the greatest quarterback to ever do it is still a human being at the end of the day.'
'Tom Brady is getting beaten up on X right now on his debut as a broadcaster,' wrote Gary Lezak, a former Chief Meteorologist in Kansas City. 'I spent 38-years in broadcasting, and he is a rookie on his first day. I can tell he is very nervous, and it isn't something that gets better instantly. He will get much better, so give him some slack. And, let's see him improve in the next few weeks.'
Things have gone much better for Brady this month.
'The progress is there,' wrote The Athletic's Richard Deitsch. 'It's incremental, but he's already a different broadcaster after four games versus his September 8 call. It's an increased comfort level that's most obvious. I would grade him a B-minus after four weeks, and I'd consider that grade a success.'
