Newly installed ‘owner’ Tom Brady cleared to commentate on Raiders games amidst neutrality questions
NFL cleared Tom Brady to call the Raiders' games, just like he does for other teams, as a lead analyst despite being Raiders' minority owner.
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Tom Brady (Via Sports Business Journal)
When Tom Brady proposed to be a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, there were several concerns in the minds of the NFL owners regarding his new career in broadcasting. Although managing both the roles as an analyst and minority owner comes with certain restrictions, calling the Raiders game certainly isn’t one of them.
Following Tuesday’s meeting of the NFL owners, the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s proposal finally got accepted and he officially became the minority owner of Las Vegas. The second good news arrived swiftly on Thrusday, as the NFL cleared Brady to call the Raiders games, just like he does for every other team, in his role as lead analyst for Fox Sports.
Pro Football Network’s Mike Florio reported the news, highlighting the league “had the chance to avoid it,” but for whatever reason they didn’t, they have put certain restrictions regarding Brady’s involvement in the Raiders’ football operations from now on.
He is restricted from attending any practice sessions and productions. Additionally, the NFL has also imposed restrictions on Brady from criticizing the opponents and the officials while calling any Raiders game.
Remember when ESPN put Jason Kelce in the booth for an extended stretch of the Falcons-Eagles game? Well, you ain't seen nothing yet. The NFL confirms that Raiders owner Tom Brady is permitted to work Raiders games for Fox. https://t.co/gFjdoHOneT
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 17, 2024
The former NFL legend had been struggling to get his proposal accepted by the NFL owners for the past year. But Las Vegas owner Mark Davis revealed that his role as the lead analyst for Fox Sports has heavily influenced the owners’ decision to approve his ownership status.
Critics raise conflict of interest concerns over Tom Brady’s dual role
Even though the legendary footballer has been cleared by the NFL, critics have highlighted a conflict of interest by allowing him to juggle the role of a media personality and owner of an NFL franchise together. Critics have argued that Brady may get his hands on sensitive or confidential information through his role as a broadcaster which could benefit his ownership of the Raiders.
Despite standing with a 2-4 record, the Raiders aren’t completely off the playoff race, and this decision by the NFL to allow the NFL analyst access to various football operations within the organizations of Las Vegas may further come into scrutiny.
Many head coaches across the league including Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, and Sean Payton have expressed their objection to this decision. But since the NFL hasn’t considered those things, it may appear partial in the future, leading to the ultimate question of Brady choosing between his broadcasting role and Raiders ownership.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2015 Articles Published)