Whether it was simply a chance encounter or a prearranged meetup at a Montana ski resort, it doesn’t matter according to the NFL. There was no tampering issue regarding the supposed meeting between Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and current Fox NFL analyst and minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders Tom Brady.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the NFL sees “no issue” with any meeting, if one happened, since the Rams had previously given Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams.
Of course, the circumstances surrounding the meeting has been at the center of a well-documented “source-off” between NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport and Fox NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who reportedly got into quite the tizzy at an Indianapolis Starbucks last night over their competing versions of events. Schultz believes the meeting between the two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks was planned. Rapoport suggests it was a “chance encounter.”
No matter which it was, in the eyes of the NFL, it was kosher.
It’s not the first time, and likely won’t be the last time, Tom Brady’s competing interests have been/will be called into question. The star quarterback turned broadcaster and owner faced numerous criticisms throughout his first year in the booth, specifically surrounding what access he should be given to players and team facilities.
If the NFL’s statement on this kerfuffle is any indication, it doesn’t seem like there’s much of an appetite to hold the league’s greatest quarterback to account. At least not until he crosses a more serious line than this.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.