NFL owners unanimously approved retired quarterback Tom Brady’s bid to become a 5 percent owner in the Las Vegas Raiders, renewing questions about how team ownership will affect his nascent broadcasting career.
“I grew up on the field, and it’s a blessing to know I’ll be involved in the greatest league in the world for the rest of my life,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said in a statement posted to X on Tuesday. The approval took 17 months.
“I’m eager to contribute to the organization in any way I can, honoring the Raiders’ rich tradition while finding every possible opportunity to improve our offering to fans… and most importantly, WIN football games,” Brady added.
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Brady, 47, is just the third player in NFL history to become an owner, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN he hoped the move would inspire other former players to follow suit. But concerns remain that Brady’s new ownership stake could present a real or perceived conflict of interest thanks to a 10-year, $375 million broadcasting deal he signed with Fox in 2022.
As a minority owner, Brady can’t enter another team’s facility, witness practice or attend broadcast production meetings—all restrictions that were preemptively put in place when he began calling games in September.
He’s also not allowed to publicly criticize game officials and other clubs, all which begs the question of how effective his broadcast analysis will be. After a shaky start, some critics are already predicting he will be a “one and done” broadcaster and look for a way out of his contract with Fox at the end of the 2024-25 season.
