The first time that Drew Brees got a job as an NFL broadcaster, the anticipation came from outside. Fans couldn’t wait to hear the insights of a legendary quarterback fresh off a historic career. This time around, the anticipation is all coming from Brees, who set expectations sky-high for his own debut at Fox.
Before Brees was hired this month to replace Mark Sanchez, the former New Orleans Saints star insisted he would be an ace commentator despite what NFL fans saw when he got a big chance at NBC three years ago. Not content to just voice his confidence, Brees went so far as to say he would be a top-three analyst when he got a chance to call games again.
Watching Brees this week back in the Big Easy on the call for Saints-Falcons, his second broadcast since joining Fox, I don’t think he’s there yet. Brees may have a top-three understanding of modern football of anyone calling NFL games for a living, but he’s not yet a top-three broadcaster.
Anyone who watched Brees break records and win games at the highest level in the NFL could have predicted he would enter the booth more prepared than almost anyone. Brees’ football knowledge pops even in the quietest moments of a game (and there were many, as Atlanta blew out Brees’ Saints).
What a pass and what a feeling for Kirk Cousins
ATLvsNO on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/XPrUVN67dI
— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025
During New Orleans’ two-minute drill late in the first half, Brees was fantastic. He pointed out that the Saints were playing no-huddle, so as to give Shough confidence and energy while keeping Atlanta from deploying its best blitz personnel packages. With Shough taking advantage of the Falcons’ prevent defense, Brees pointed out how the short passing game can help an offense get more players involved.
Late in the third quarter with Shough driving again, Brees really dug up gold. Whereas many former athletes preface their insights by reminding viewers of their playing careers, Brees slipped into a smart breakdown of why check-downs can be so valuable for a quarterback without any window dressing. At home, fans who watched Brees understood where his perspective came from. Nobody got more from check-downs than peak Brees.
Like the best analysts, Brees also showed he was plugged into the broader NFL conversation when he referenced Bijan Robinson’s now-famous jump cuts. After a big Robinson run midway through the second quarter, Brees stuck with the star running back for a moment to unload the clip, knowing he may not have a chance to talk about Robinson for a while. Many analysts take a while to learn those timing tricks (however, Brees seemed less aware of the narratives when a Charissa Thompson reference to Dak Prescott’s infamous “Here we go” snap cadence went over his head in the fourth quarter).
Poetry in motion from Bijan Robinson 😤
ATLvsNO on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/fcLiIbYzjw
— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025
A great quarterback like Brees should be able to explain the game. The part that typically comes later for even the most brilliant NFL commentators is how to make the wealth of information they bring to the booth more digestible for the average viewer.
Watching Brees get his feet wet felt similar to early in 2024, when Brees’ new teammate Tom Brady was still green. Both had similar highs and lows. In the first quarter, Brees went to a replay and told the audience that he was “going to say something” about Kirk Cousins’ hard count before realizing Cousins hadn’t snapped the ball that way. Brees caught himself, but moments like these are confusing and muddy the water for when an analyst wants to actually make the point later on.
Still, Brees avoided the long pauses and pockets of silence that sullied his notorious playoff debut for NBC in 2022. Brees is far ahead of where Brady was in that regard after two calls.
Brees also avoided talking too much about his Saints days and connections to New Orleans, something national viewers do not want to hear but is difficult to avoid (just ask J.J. Watt).
The poor matchup and bad game script left Brees in a learning situation most of the afternoon. He and partner Adam Amin had to vamp and give viewers a good hang more than a football lesson. The two had an easy comfort on the call that belies their lack of experience working together, a good reminder that Brees is not the only potentially overqualified broadcaster on Fox’s No. 3 booth. Amin is fantastic and is developing a track record of bringing great stuff out of young, recently retired athletes, from Sanchez to Adam Wainwright and A.J. Pierzynski on baseball to, now, Brees.
All said, Brees was far better than I expected. Setting aside the flameout at NBC, Brees had an ease that exceeded his limited experience. The other veteran broadcasters who have worked hard to get to their perch probably don’t love the shade Brees threw at them the past year or so, but he was right to be confident.
If Brees can make a mediocre NFC South game between two backup quarterbacks informative and breezy, the future is exciting for an all-time great once hailed as a future media star.