Drew Brees Joins Fox Sports, Returning to NFL Broadcasting for 2025 Season

Future Hall of Famer Returns to the Booth with Fox Sports

Drew Brees, one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history, is officially returning to the broadcast booth, signing on as a game analyst for Fox Sports. The announcement confirms Brees’s move to one of the premier networks covering the National Football League, setting the stage for his return to regular NFL coverage starting with the 2025 season.

The decision follows Brees’s previous, somewhat abbreviated, tenure at NBC, and provides him with a highly visible platform to demonstrate the analytical prowess he believes he possesses. The move to Fox, which holds the rights to the NFC package, immediately positions Brees within the competitive landscape of elite former players transitioning to television.

The Quest to Be a ‘Top-Three Analyst’

Brees has never been shy about his high expectations for his second career. In a previous interview with Dan Patrick, Brees asserted that he believed he could instantly establish himself as a top-three game analyst in the industry. His new role at Fox offers the opportunity to fulfill that ambitious claim.

This move is significant because Fox has historically cultivated some of the most recognizable voices in NFL broadcasting, and Brees’s arrival signals the network’s continued investment in high-profile talent. While the specifics of his broadcast team—including his play-by-play partner—were not immediately detailed, Brees is expected to assume a prominent role in the network’s weekly NFL coverage.

Brees’s Previous Stint at NBC

Brees first transitioned into broadcasting immediately following his retirement from the New Orleans Saints in 2021. He joined NBC, where his primary roles included serving as an analyst for Football Night in America (FNIA) and calling college football games, specifically for Notre Dame. He also provided commentary for the network’s coverage of the Olympics.

However, Brees’s time at NBC was reportedly less fulfilling than anticipated. He was not integrated into the network’s flagship Sunday Night Football broadcast team, which features veteran play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and longtime analyst Cris Collinsworth. This limited exposure to the primary NFL game broadcast led to speculation about his dissatisfaction and eventual departure after the 2022 season.

NBC’s structure, which relies heavily on the established Tirico-Collinsworth duo for the main game, meant Brees was often relegated to studio work and other sports, which did not fully utilize his deep NFL knowledge or star power. His departure was brief, marked by a momentary consideration of an NFL playing comeback, though he ultimately decided against returning to the field.

Navigating the Competitive Analyst Landscape

Brees enters a broadcasting market that is arguably the most competitive and financially lucrative in sports history. The decision by Fox to bring him on board must be viewed in the context of the network’s existing talent pool and massive contractual obligations to other star analysts.

Key figures defining the current NFL analyst hierarchy include:

• Tony Romo (CBS): Set the financial benchmark for analyst contracts and is known for his predictive, engaging style.
• Troy Aikman (ESPN): Moved to Monday Night Football and remains a highly respected voice.
• Tom Brady (Fox): The seven-time Super Bowl champion is set to begin his highly anticipated, lucrative contract with Fox, potentially starting in the 2025 season, positioning him as the network’s likely top analyst.

Brees’s arrival means Fox will now possess two of the most recognizable and successful quarterbacks of the last two decades in its analyst stable. This concentration of talent suggests Fox is aiming for unparalleled depth in its NFL coverage.

Implications for Fox’s Broadcast Teams

Given the expected high-profile placement of Tom Brady, Brees will likely be slotted into Fox’s second or third-tier broadcast team, though still covering major games. This arrangement allows Fox to strengthen its entire slate of Sunday broadcasts, ensuring that even their secondary games feature A-list commentary.

This strategy is crucial for Fox, which airs the NFC’s most important matchups, including playoff games. Having Brees on a secondary team provides a significant upgrade in credibility and viewer appeal compared to many other networks’ second-tier offerings. It also provides Brees with the consistent, high-level game analysis role he sought, moving him away from the studio desk and back into the action.

“The opportunity to analyze the game from the booth, providing real-time insights and breaking down the strategy—that’s where I feel I can provide the most value,” Brees stated previously, emphasizing his desire for a game analyst role over studio work.

The Challenge of Transitioning Expertise to Commentary

While Brees’s football IQ is unquestionable—he holds numerous NFL records and was known for his meticulous preparation—the transition from elite player to elite broadcaster is challenging. Success requires not only deep knowledge but also clarity, conciseness, and the ability to articulate complex concepts under pressure and within the constraints of a live television window.

Brees’s previous work on FNIA and Notre Dame games provided valuable practice, but calling a weekly NFL game is a different rhythm. Viewers will be looking for the same sharp, insightful analysis that Romo provides, but delivered with Brees’s characteristic demeanor.

His ability to quickly identify defensive coverages, offensive adjustments, and quarterback reads will be his greatest asset. The key to his success at Fox will be translating that technical expertise into accessible commentary for the average viewer, while also satisfying the demands of the hardcore football fan.

Key Takeaways for the 2025 NFL Season

Drew Brees’s move to Fox Sports is a major development in the sports media landscape, promising a significant boost to the network’s NFL coverage. Here are the essential points:

• New Role: Brees joins Fox Sports as a game analyst for their NFL coverage, fulfilling his desire for a primary booth role.
• Timing: His tenure is expected to begin with the start of the 2025 NFL season.
• Previous Experience: Brees left NBC after the 2022 season, where he primarily worked on Football Night in America and called Notre Dame games, roles that did not fully utilize his game analysis skills.
• Competitive Context: Brees joins a network that features other high-profile analysts, including the incoming Tom Brady, intensifying the competition for top broadcast slots.
• Goal: The move gives Brees the platform to prove his claim that he can be one of the top three analysts in the sport, leveraging his Hall of Fame-caliber experience.

Conclusion: A High-Stakes Return to the Spotlight

Fox’s acquisition of Drew Brees underscores the premium networks are placing on former superstar quarterbacks to elevate their NFL broadcasts. For Brees, this represents a second chance to establish himself as a dominant voice in sports media, moving past the perceived limitations of his previous role at NBC.

As the 2025 season approaches, all eyes will be on the Fox broadcast teams. Whether Brees is paired with a veteran play-by-play partner or part of a newly formed duo, his performance will be scrutinized against the high standards set by the industry’s elite. If his analysis matches his confidence, Brees could quickly become one of the most compelling voices covering the NFL, justifying Fox’s significant investment and solidifying his place in the competitive ecosystem of professional sports commentary.