NFL Execs Question Tom Brady’s Dual Role: “You Can’t Do It All”
Tom Brady is once again at the center of NFL headlines. This time, not for throwing touchdowns, but for wearing a headset in the Raiders’ coaches box during Monday’s game against the Chargers.
Brady’s unique position as both a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and the lead NFL analyst for Fox Sports has some league executives scratching their heads.
“I’m just confused,” one front office exec told The Athletic. “Owners own, coaches coach, players play. Broadcasters broadcast. You can’t do it all.”
The concern is simple: Brady seems to be everywhere at once. On one hand, he’s the face of Fox’s NFL coverage. On the other, he’s tied to decision-making in Las Vegas, whether he admits it or not. ESPN’s Peter Schrager reported that Brady has weekly conversations with Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, though both Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll denied he’s influencing the playbook. Instead, they say it’s more casual talk “about life and football.”
Still, some rival teams aren’t buying it. One team even instructed its staff to “keep everything basic and simple” in production meetings whenever Brady is around, worried he could pass along insider info. Former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce admitted Brady had “conversations about certain things” with the team last season.
The NFL has made it clear there’s no policy preventing Brady from being in the booth or wearing a headset as an owner. But the optics are tough to ignore, especially with Fox broadcasting a Bears-Cowboys game this week, followed by the Bears facing the Raiders next week.
My Take
I don’t believe Tom Brady is doing anything unethical (more so, I’m trusting that he’s not). But it does highlight the unfair advantage he has just by being Tom Brady. The access, the influence, the ability to straddle ownership and broadcasting, that’s not something every player or owner could pull off. While I respect the grind and the greatness, it still bends the playing field in ways the league hasn’t fully figured out.
Keep in mind that I’m speaking as an avid Brady fan. His current position is dangerous for the game.
