Less than one full week after Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and Fox lead in-game NFL analyst Tom Brady was spotted wearing a headset in Las Vegas’ coaching booth during the club’s Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he called this past Sunday’s matchup between the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys.
The situation sparked new conflict-of-interest takes regarding Brady’s roles, in part because he was permitted to virtually participate in production meetings with Chicago players and coaches before the Raiders host the Bears this coming Sunday. For a piece published on Monday, an executive from an unnamed team spoke with The Athletic’s Mike Sando about Brady’s in-season activities.
Tom Brady “gets special treatment” from NFL owners
“The league doesn’t do things in rare cases when they get positive PR,” that executive explained. “Brady’s a positive PR element. They like him doing the games. They like everything he does. So, he gets special treatment.”
Back in February, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic noted that Brady received a 10-year deal reportedly worth $375M from Fox even though “the overall NFL ratings would be the same if it were Tom Brady, Greg Brady or Jan Brady” calling games for the network. Thus, the perception exists that Fox and the NFL like the fact that Brady’s two roles are repeatedly generating headlines for a second straight season.
Were coaches lying with their recent Tom Brady takes?
One so-called “ownership source” made it known to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer last week that some within the league believe Brady having access to other teams via his Fox gig gives the Raiders an “advantage.” However, multiple NFL coaches and players suggested ahead of the weekend that they have no real concerns regarding Brady’s current arrangement.
While former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said the situation would make him “uncomfortable,” it’s worth mentioning that Brady allegedly had a significant role in the Raiders’ decision to part ways with Pierce following the 2024 season.
“There’s a reason they’re not blowing a gasket,” one coach from another team told Sando about why other coaches downplayed concerns related to Brady. “It’s going to have to be the owners that do it. The owners know that Brady calling the games is a good thing.”
Coaches and players don’t just respect Brady as the NFL’s GOAT quarterback. They also likely understand they could end up on Brady’s radar for future employment opportunities.
In short, there’s no indication Brady will have to pick a lane and serve as either a minority owner of a team or as a broadcaster anytime soon.