Tom Brady fired back at FOX NFL colleague Kevin Burkhardt for throwing back to the football icon’s less-than-stellar debut.

At 47, Brady has swapped the gridiron for the broadcast booth with FOX, following his NFL retirement in February 2023. The New England Patriots hero and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is widely considered to be the greatest player in the sport’s history.

Yet, his legendary status was far from obvious during his first outing for the Patriots in 2000. Brady got his chance off the bench, replacing Drew Bledsoe against the Detroit Lions, but it turned into a fiasco as the Lions trounced the Patriots 34-9.

When Burkhardt brought up some of Brady’s rookie struggles, the superstar from California was quick with a comeback.

During the pre-game segment, Burkhardt said: “You told me that your second pass was almost a pick six to the house.”

Brady laughed and then shot back by saying: “You were supposed to skip that part!” Brady then said: “We’re being thankful that it wasn’t, that’s the whole idea.

“The first pass was doinked off of JR Redmond’s helmet. The second one I almost threw a pick six. But the third one I finally completed to Rod Rutledge. It was a low point, but it was all uphill from there.”

Tom Brady speaking on Fox News NFL with Kevin Burkhardt

Brady wasted no time in putting his colleague in their place 

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NFLonFOX)

Seemingly conceding the initial struggle before moving on, Burkhardt said: “Yeah, I think it worked out OK for you!”

Brady has embarked on his first season under the spotlight of a staggering broadcasting contract with FOX. He’s already delivered analysis on 11 games, offering his expert insight into plays, coaching strategies and players’ performances.

The legendary quarterback scored himself a breath-taking 10-year deal with the network, valued at an astonishing $375million. Moreover, Brady secured a 5% ownership slice in the Las Vegas Raiders.

Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots moves back to pass the ball during the game against the Detroit Lions at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Patriots 34-9

Brady’s debut did not go to plan at all 

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Getty Images)

Brady recently captured the audience’s attention when he chomped down on ‘Turducken’ during a Thanksgiving broadcast. ‘Turducken’ is a festive fan favorite consisting of turkey packed with duck and chicken.

Finishing his on-screen snack, Brady said: “That was phenomenal. Mine’s still sitting over there. I’m waiting to dig in as soon as we put these headsets down.”

Brady holds the record for the most matches played at quarterback, having appeared in 335 games over the course of his historic career.