Viva Las Vegas

Tom Brady is a well-known sports personality. He was an NFL quaterback for 23 years. He spent two decades at the New England Patriots and the final years at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that time, he won 7 Superbowls.

Since he's retired, he has gone into investment and co-owns a few teams. Such a team include the English football club, Birmingham City. He is also a TV Analyst. His fraternising with The Las Vegas Raiders have made people furious.

Brady agreed to become the lead analyst for Fox Sports, signing a massive 10-year contract reportedly worth $375 million to become the face of the channel’s coverage of the NFL. On top of that, Brady became a minority share owner of the Las Vegas Raiders last year after purchasing a reported 5% stake in the team.

After 17 months of haggling with league owners – as Brady struggled through stand-up comedy, divorce and other post-retirement fumbles – the Raiders deal was approved on the condition that he stay out of Fox’s team briefings. With only his 23 years experience and broadcast partner, Kevin Burkhardt’s notes to draw from, Brady finally made his Fox debut in 2024. The results have not been pretty.

The collision of these two worlds has presented problems for both Brady and the NFL.

Due to his involvement with the Raiders, Brady was restricted from attending the typical pre-game production meetings or having access to team facilities last season in his maiden year in the booth. This was a step to ensure Brady was unable to – wittingly or unwittingly – feed information on how teams are going to play or details from their playbook back to the Raiders.

It led to a unique situation where Brady was kept out of the loop by missing those behind-closed-doors discussions and unique insight offered by coaches or players ahead of prime time games; while at the same time, his Fox colleague and lead play-by-play announcer, Kevin Burkhardt, was in those meetings and privy to the information.

This season though, the NFL has relaxed those restrictions around Brady, allowing him to attend production meetings remotely and therefore gain access to the insight which usually remains secret. However, he still isn’t allowed to watch another team’s practices or go to a team’s training complex for production meetings.

The complex arrangement came to a head this week when Brady was shown on ESPN’s coverage of the Raiders’ Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday, sitting with the Las Vegas coaching staff in the stands of Allegiant Stadium with a headset on; allowing him to hear communications between coaches.

The sight of Brady sitting just yards away from Raiders offensive co-ordinator, Chip Kelly, was a jarring one; once again raising the question about his involvement in the day-to-day playing side of the game.

An NFL spokesperson said that Brady was sitting with the Las Vegas coaches in his role as a limited partner and that the league has "no policies" on restricting an owners’ access to the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game.

Brady isn’t the only NFL owner to be seen wearing a headset during a game, with Indianapolis Colts owner, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, seen marching the touchline of Colts games with a headset and a playbook.

"All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System," the NFL statement continued.

In light of Brady being seen in the Raiders booth, the contradictory nature of his two roles has been the subject of much debate online.

"It’s abhorrent for me for his job. I love it for his team," former NFL defensive end, Marcus Spears, said on ESPN’s, "First Take." "This should not happen with him being a commentator of NFL football games. It actually questions the integrity of the NFL."

"Now teams have to be smart and not divulge information when he’s on a call because, at some point, the Raiders are going to play a team that he’s sitting in on these meetings. There’s information shared when you have these pre-production meetings before games. There’s plans that coaches have. There’s guys that they tell you to be on the lookout for how we’ll use them."

Domonique Foxworth – former cornerback for the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens and former NFL Players Association president – said he, "would be upset or uncomfortable if I were a player on his team."

"I don’t think it matters whether (players or coaches) are guarded or not (in pre-match production meetings). The thing is, you do not want the perception or the opportunity for any impropriety," Foxworth said on ESPN’s, "Get Up." "And if you’re going to take this risk, I would think that you would take this risk because the benefit was so great."

"In that case, it doesn’t seem to line up necessarily that he’s either such a great owner that he can’t walk away from that or he’s such a great broadcaster that he also has to be an owner or they just let him show up and do the games."

James Palmer, Bleacher Report’s NFL insider, wrote on X: "Tom Brady meets with Chip Kelly 2-3 times a week to go over film and go through the game plan. And every weekend Brady is calling a game for Fox, gathering as much information as possible from players and coaches from both teams to be at his best in the broadcast booth. Got it."

However, Brady is coming at this unique situation with professionalism, Raiders head coach, Pete Carroll, said on Tuesday.

"I think Tom’s tried to honour that really strictly and with all respect to the situation of, you know, concerns like you’re talking about, and I think he’s been really good," Carroll told reporters. "He’s not planning games with us; he’s not talking to us about anything other than our conversations we have that are, really, that are random."

"They’re not set up; they’re not structured in any way. He knows. He’s very respectful of what he does otherwise, and he’s of the opinion that he doesn’t want to be that kind of a factor and so he’s not."

Brady’s involvement with the Raiders and his TV obligations will continue to rear their head throughout the season – in fact, the Raiders play the Commanders on Sunday and Brady called Washington’s season-opener in Week 1, meaning he was in pre-game production meetings with Commanders coaching staff and players, potentially gleaning information he wouldn’t otherwise have on their scheme and personnel.

However, Commanders head coach, Dan Quinn, said he’s not really bothered by Brady’s dual interests.

"It’s unique for sure, but they have a job to do, too, so I get that like that’s our responsibility to help them give some insights, what it could be, what could be there for the game. So, it’s really just for this game, like that’s what I think about," Quinn told reporters.

"But not just because of Tom calling it and his relationship obviously with the Raiders, but really in every game because it’s just what do you have to do to win this game? You know, the information here wouldn’t be applied to another team in that way."

Despite the people involved in the NFL games seemingly being OK with it, the potentially conflicting nature of his broadcasting job and his ownership stake could continue to ruffle feathers as the season goes on.

There has been a lot of talk this week about whether Fox NFL analyst and part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady, has some kind of advantage when he does NFL games. The NFL has tried to dismiss those claims but a lot of NFL players aren’t buying it, saying Brady might have an advantage.

The NFL released a statement after Brady made a cameo on Monday Night Football.

"Tom continues to be prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings," the league said in a statement. "He may attend production meetings remotely but may not attend in person at the team facility or hotel. He may also conduct an interview off site with a player like he did last year a couple times, including for the Super Bowl. Of course, as with any production meeting with broadcast teams, it’s up to the club, coach or players to determine what they say in those sessions."

On Tuesday, the NFL said Brady hadn't violated any rules by sitting in the coaching booth, adding that wearing a headset to listen in on team communication during the game is also above board.

"There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game," NFL spokesman, Brian McCarthy, said. "Brady was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a limited partner. All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System."

Despite the statements, that’s still not enough for some players and coaches who may think it’s unethical for Brady or any other former NFL player to have that much access. Jets, Eagles and Giants players gave their views on the situation via NJ.com.

"I approach it the same way I approach media in here," New York Giants safety, Jevon Holland, said. "I’m not telling reporters — no disrespect— I’m not telling y’all pretty much anything about what we’re doing because I don’t trust reporters. I’m not saying you’re a bad guy, but I don’t trust reporters, because that’s your job — to report on information."

New York Jets tackle, Harrison Phillips, brings up J.J. Watt as another example. "J.J. Watt was here doing the production meetings, his brother [T.J.] plays for Pittsburgh," Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said. "When he’s asking me, 'What type of scheme, is it man, zone?' Whatever. I’m not going to answer. I don’t care if it’s J.J. Watt or any of the production meeting people. It would be very ignorant for me to say, 'Oh, we’ve got a fake punt up this week!' Or 'Man, our third-string receiver is getting a lot of reps today!' Like, that’s so stupid. I don’t think people would be giving that information anyway. But what do I know?"

Still, most players think it’s just common sense not to give away a team's game plan. "You don’t give away your game plan or what you’re doing," Philadelphia Eagles linebacker, Zack Baun, said. "You just give general thoughts on the game. If you give him something that’s on you. That’s common knowledge."

It seems that most of the NFL players who spoke on the matter, however, believe that Brady is still going by the honour code despite some of their skepticism.

On Thursday, Raiders Offensive Co-ordinator, Chip Kelly, elaborated in depth on the true extent of Brady's involvement with the team.

"Well, I don't know what was said on the broadcast, because we don't watch the games, but Tom's [Brady] involvement with me is I spent a lot of time just talking football with him, but it's not on a - we don't talk about game plans. We spent a lot of time over the summer, a couple Zooms," Kelly said.

"He was traveling all over the place, I was away, and we would just talk ball. 'What did you like against this?' So really, when I use Tom, and I just use him as a resource of, 'Hey, when you faced a Mike Zimmer-type defense, what did you like protection-wise and play-wise?' But on a weekly basis, he's not game planning with us or talking to us. I know that the week of the New England Patriots game, I actually heard from him the morning of the game. He sent me a text saying, 'Good luck in the opener.' Touched base after the game, that was it."

Specifically, Kelly explained that although Brady is involved, he is not directly involved with the actual game planning on a weekly basis. Based on Kelly and the rest of the Raiders' coaching staff, it appears Brady's involvement is minimal.

"In terms of weekly game plans, like that's not a collaboration that we do. I mean, he's also a busy guy, so I haven't even thought of using him to do that, and I don't even think you can. So, our staff does all that," Kelly said.

“But he's been a guy that I can talk football with, just shooting it about, 'Hey, have you ever faced a two trap defense or the inverted Tampa two that everybody's running now,' and 'What was your best thoughts about that,' things like that. But we're not - we don't talk game plan at all or any of that stuff in terms of on a weekly basis."

Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has delivered a bombshell revelation regarding Tom Brady's controversial dual role as both FOX broadcaster and minority owner of the Raiders, just days after Brady's presence at the Las Vegas game sparked major controversy.

Pierce, who led the Raiders throughout 2024 - the same year Brady received official approval as minority owner - appeared on Adam Schein's SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio show, candidly explaining why the arrangement feels bizarre and potentially unjust.

"This is unprecedented, what we're seeing," Pierce declared. "I think I would be uncomfortable if it was the other way around, to be honest with you. Because you're not dealing with just a normal person. Tom Brady is the elite of the elite, one of the greatest quarterbacks, one of the greatest players in the game, played against him obviously, student of the game."

"And you'd be foolish enough to think that he's not gonna share that with the Raiders because we had those conversations about certain things."

Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Antonio Pierce, has questioned Tom Brady's dual role as both a limited partner and FOX analyst.

Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has delivered a bombshell revelation regarding Tom Brady's controversial dual role as both FOX broadcaster and minority owner of the Raiders, just days after Brady's presence at the Las Vegas game sparked major controversy.

Pierce continued: "It's not hard for him to watch a few things on a Friday practice or hear things in a production meeting and be like, 'Hmm,' and have tidbits.

"And you'd be foolish enough to think that he's not gonna share that with the Raiders because we had those conversations about certain things."

Despite recognising Brady's standing and worth, Pierce didn't hesitate to highlight the possible conflict of interest. "I think everybody's gonna give you the political answer and say, 'Oh, it's no big deal,'" Pierce stated.

"I'm calling B.S. on that because if me and you were to call the game, they'd be secretive with us. Now you got a guy who's a minority owner, a great player, you know he understands the game, you know he sees the game. He has obviously an interest in the Raiders. So I just think it's unprecedented."

Pierce also highlighted that Brady has been more hands-on this off-season than before, implying that leadership decisions are partly influenced by Brady. "He was at training camp," Pierce stated.

From one hands-on owner to another, Dallas Cowboys‘ Jerry Jones isn’t bothered in the least that new Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady spends time in the Raiders coaching booth when he’s not calling games in his second season as a FOX broadcaster. It’s a story that has taken over the NFL this week.

"I’m not at all concerned about it," Jones said on Friday on Dallas’ 105.3 FM The Fan, according to The Athletic‘s Jon Machota. "… I don’t think too much of it being a competitive issue. I’m OK with Brady in the booth."

To me, Tom Brady should get his priorities straight. One can't do two jobs that can cause a form of conflict. This isn't okay. He should choose which one is more important. He should then stick to that choice and distance himself from the other.

This is the only logical choice to make.