“I never thought I’d live this long.” Terry Bradshaw once said those words with a laugh, but deep down, there was truth to them. He spent his entire life playing like there was no tomorrow—throwing his body into the fire for four Super Bowls, taking brutal hits in an era where quarterbacks were unprotected, and later turning FOX NFL Sunday into a 30-year-long spectacle.
But now, at 76, tomorrow is here.
For decades, Bradshaw has been the face of NFL Sundays. First, as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ golden-armed leader, then as the heart and soul of FOX’s pregame coverage. But for the first time, the man who never seemed to slow down is finally preparing to step away. “I got two years left at FOX. I’m 76,” he admitted during Super Bowl LIX week. “If I can get to the next Super Bowl, I’ll be 80. That’s… I think that’s time.”
Bradshaw’s contract with FOX, which runs for two more years, ensures that he—and not a high-profile successor like Tom Brady—gets to host the Super Bowl trophy ceremony when FOX holds broadcast rights. That clause alone speaks to his lasting influence on the network.
But for Bradshaw, the reality is setting in. In recent years, he fought two types of cancer—bladder cancer and Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. Fans noticed his thinner frame and slower movements on TV, and eventually, he broke his silence. “People kept saying I looked sick like I lost weight,” he said. “Well, yeah, I had cancer!”
He beat it. But it changed him.
“I can’t run. I can’t play with my grandkids the way I used to. And I don’t like that.” For years, the idea of retirement seemed impossible. You see, not only football, entertainment too ran in his veins. FOX NFL Sunday became his life, and vice versa. He even joked that he’d rather “die on the show” because of the ratings it would bring in.
Even after he beat cancer, he never thought retiring was an option he would consider. “What would happen with the studio? Who would take my place? That’s not ever going to happen.” But behind the jokes, he knew the truth. “It’s a young man’s game,” he admitted. “I want to spend time with my wife. I want to enjoy life a little bit.” So, for the first time in his life, Terry Bradshaw is hitting pause.
But as he prepares to step away, there’s one thing he can’t quite shake. The one dream that never came true.
Terry Bradshaw’s biggest ‘what if?’
Bradshaw, the Blond Bomber, has been defined by black and gold; there’s no doubt about that. The Steelers made him a legend, a Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. But long before Pittsburgh, there was another black-and-gold jersey he desperately wanted to wear.
Growing up in Clinton, Iowa, Bradshaw was obsessed with the Hawkeyes. He would press his face against storefront windows, staring at the helmets and jerseys, imagining himself running out onto the field at Kinnick Stadium. “During Christmas, I would lean up against the glass, and they had the Iowa Hawkeye jersey there with the helmet and football and all that. And it was black and gold. I stared at that and thought oh my god, how cool would that be?”
Imagine if Terry Bradshaw would’ve played for Iowa pic.twitter.com/HoxPDW44eP
— Hawks Drink Swarm (@hawksdrinkbusch) February 11, 2025
“I still think about it,” he admitted.“That was my dream when I was a kid. But life had other plans.”
Indeed, life had other plans for him. Instead of Iowa, he stayed close to home and played for Louisiana Tech, where he became one of the most hyped quarterback prospects of his era. By the time he left, his arm was the stuff of legend—scouts would watch in awe as he effortlessly launched 70-yard bombs.
You see, black and gold was in his fate anyway. Maybe not in the way young Terry wanted. But he made sure those colors stayed in his life. How? Well, through his first car and then through his NFL journey.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took him No. 1 overall in the 1970 NFL Draft, and the rest is history. He carved out a different legacy—one that saw him go from a small-town Louisiana kid to an NFL icon. By the time he retired in 1983, his place in history was set. He had won four Super Bowls in six seasons, including back-to-back championships in 1978 and 1979, and he had become the first quarterback to throw for over 300 yards in a Super Bowl.
“I think the thing that I’m most proud of as a football player was that I played big in big games,” Bradshaw reflected during NFL Network’s A Football Life in 2019. And he did—especially in the biggest moments. His 1978 season was a masterpiece, earning him NFL MVP honors as he led Pittsburgh to a 14-2 record and a third Lombardi Trophy. He followed it up with another title in 1979, securing back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs with legendary performances.
It wasn’t just the championships. It was the way he won them. Bradshaw played through pain, battled through injuries, and took hit after brutal hit in an era where quarterbacks weren’t protected. His legacy may take a pause if he retires, but it is far from being a full stop in his autobiography.
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