It’s been a little over 19 months since seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady announced he was retiring from the NFL “for good.”

This afternoon, the NFL legend makes his long-awaited television debut when he joins lead play-by-play commentator Kevin Burkhardt in the FOX booth for “America’s Game of the Week.”

The Cleveland Browns host the Dallas Cowboys for the nationally televised game in Week 1. FOX Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews and reporter and feature contributor Tom Rinaldi will also join Burkhardt and Brady for the weekly NFL broadcasts.

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Tom Brady looks on before the Las Vegas Aces home opener against the Phoenix Mercury at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Mercury 89-80. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

In 2022, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced during the company’s earnings call that the seven-time Super Bowl champion would join the sports network’s top announcing team at some point after his illustrious football career ended. Brady was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the time.

“It’s going to be a great and exciting television career,” Murdoch said in 2022, “but it’s up to him to make that choice when he sees fit.”

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Brady decided to postpone his foray into the broadcast booth for a year, but ultimately decided to begin the second half of his career in 2024. The New England Patriots legend has spoken about the next step in his career during several interviews and speaking engagements in recent months.

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady looks on prior to a game between the Michigan Panthers and the Memphis Showboats at Ford Field on May 18, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/UFL/Getty Images)

Brady spoke to FOX Sports on Saturday from the TV booth at the Cleveland Browns’ home stadium as his old university, Michigan, gathered in the locker room during halftime of a game against Texas.

“Obviously super excited, there’s very little anxiety,” Brady said when asked about his emotions leading up to his debut. “There’s a lot of preparation that’s been put in by a lot of people and it’s been a journey for a couple of years. But I think the most exciting thing for me is getting to go back to NFL football. Here in the booth, I have the best partner in Kevin and Erin on the field with Tom Rin… We have a great group. There’s so many talented people that I get to work with, I get to be a part of a great team. And I get to cover a sport that I absolutely love.”

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Brady has a reputation for meticulous preparation for games, and his dedication appears to carry over into his television career.

The Athletic reported that Brady was in an NBC production truck during a Miami Dolphins game. Burkhart has participated in mock games with Brady. The legendary quarterback admitted that he apologized to Burkhardt when he made mistakes during practice games. However, Brady said the veteran play-by-play man reassured him.

“I want to get up every day and try to prove to them, ‘Hey guys, I know I’m a rookie, but I’m going to take care of you, too,’” Brady told “FOX NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee.

Will Brady criticize players during the broadcast?

Brady has been openly sharing his thoughts for a few years now on his podcast ‘Let’s Go!’.

Last year, he spoke on the podcast about the state of the NFL, saying, “I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in the NFL today,” Brady said.

Shortly before he was inducted into the Patriots’ hall of fame, he told Yahoo! Sports that “quarterbacking has kind of gone downhill in the NFL.” He pointed the finger at coaching in the league and in the college football ranks. But during a chat with Stephen A. Smith last month, Brady cautioned that he hopes to avoid being too critical of quarterbacks when he’s in the broadcast booth.

Tom Brady presents the MVP trophy to Adrian Martinez #9 of the Birmingham Stallions after the Stallions defeated the San Antonio Brahmas to win the UFL Championship Game at The Dome at America’s Center on June 16, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Scott Rovak/UFL/Getty Images)

“That was horrible,” was an example of a line Brady might have wanted to say into the microphone, but he admitted, “I just can’t say that on TV.”

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He co-hosted the podcast “Let’s Go!” alongside veteran sportscaster Jim Gray and retired wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Bill Belichick was recently announced as Brady’s replacement for the podcast as the football legend focuses on his new role at FOX.

The Cowboys and Browns kick off at 4:25 p.m. Eastern Time on FOX.

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