Terry Bradshaw discusses Tom Brady, NFL on Fox contract: 'I did some bad deals'
The four-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame quarterback has remained involved with the game following his 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers — becoming a familiar face for the NFL on Fox. While the network is transitioning after Jimmy Johnson's retirement, Bradshaw previously shared his desire to stay on the air until 2029 — when Fox hosts the Super Bowl again.
He would be 80 years old, a number the 76 year old is targeting to wrap up his broadcasting career.
Bradshaw was one of the original members for the NFL on Fox crew that launched in 1994 and he discussed his current employers during an appearance on the "To the Point – Home Services Podcast," which is a show dedicated to "marketing and operational solutions to help your service company grow."
'Did you see the numbers they did?' Bradshaw asked the audience, in reference to the Super Bowl viewership numbers. 'The largest Super Bowl in history. 126 million people. There's 330 million people in America. That is a ton. The Fox pregame show averaged 28 million for five hours. Who in the world is gonna sit around and watch that mess for five hours? 28 million."
The former Steeler pointed out those numbers translated to some big money.
'You know how much money they made? God. More money than plumbers, I can assure you that. 28 million. And I guarantee you, if I go in there and ask for a raise, 'Well, we don't have any ... we're running a little tight.' Well, you just paid Tom Brady $37 million a year. I'll take it. I did some bad deals, that's what it was.'
Bradshaw also spoke about his early career in football, comparing the contracts to today's game.
Despite being the No. 1 pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, Bradshaw noted that he made $25,000 in his first season with the Steelers and worked as a used car salesman during the offseason.
Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, signed a contract worth $48.8 million with the Tennessee Titans. His contract carries an average value of $12.2 million — an indication of how much things have changed in the last 55 years.
Players aren't the only ones who have seen their value explode over the years. Broadcasters such as Brady have seen their salaries increase exponentially as well.
It's unclear what Bradshaw's salary is, but Brady has a sizable lead on ESPN's Troy Aikman, who checks in at $18 million a year, and NBC's Cris Collinsworth, who makes around $12.5 million a year.
Brady was often criticized for his performance in the broadcast booth last season, especially when considering the contract Fox awarded him.
The common belief is that no one is tuning into a broadcast to listen to a specific announcer, but companies believe there is value in paying for what they see as the best.
Now that it's out there, time will tell if Bradshaw's remarks have any impact on his bottom line.
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