Pat McAfee, A.J. Hawk defend Tom Brady over conflict of interest concerns

It took less than three months from Tom Brady being approved as part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders before a potential conflict of interest came up in his dual role as the top game analyst at Fox.

While sports media analysts, Fox executives, and NFL insiders spin their wheels on Brady’s conflicts calling a game featuring his preferred head coaching candidate, Pat McAfee and A.J. Hawk rejected that criticism of Brady heading into the NFL divisional round.

On Saturday, Brady will be in Detroit to call Lions-Commanders while the Raiders pursue Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Though a top Fox exec dismissed the idea that Brady’s affinity for Johnson could make his analysis dishonest, many believe Brady occupying both roles is untenable in the long run.

Discussing the situation on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday after Brady’s agent stated he would be back at Fox next season, Hawk called the backlash to Brady’s unique dual role “overblown.”

“I have no issue with Tom being an owner and being in the booth. I don’t understand why he has people thinking he cannot do both,” Hawk questioned. “Do they think his workload is too much? Like Tom Brady, who played in the NFL forever and has won so many Super Bowls, the guy can’t handle it? No, the season’s five or six months long when he’s in the booth. I don’t really understand, I don’t get caught up I guess in the drama of, is he going to get inside information when he’s broadcasting or when he’s talking to people? OK, good luck. He’s going to be fine. I think it’s way overblown when they think the advantage that Tom could possibly gain from being in the booth or talking to these guys.”

Tom Brady is staying in the broadcast booth#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/agRKMHDaUY

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 17, 2025

Earlier this week, Hawk and McAfee grilled ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on how closely Brady was working with the Raiders to replace head coach Antonio Pierce and GM Tom Telesco. When Schefter denied Brady was overstepping, Hawk and McAfee noted that Schefter might be a little too close to the situation as a fellow Michigan alum.

However, when it came time for Hawk to weigh in, he appeared to agree with Schefter that Brady would be professional enough to overcome the conflict.

McAfee, on the other hand, gave credence to the idea. While the host said he does not personally have an issue with Brady calling the game, he understands why fans or rival executives could see Brady’s proximity

“I like Tom Brady being around the game, personally. I like Tom Brady having a voice in the game,” McAfee explained. “That’s the greatest of all time, so the more we hear from him, the better. And I’m appreciative of him. But I think the people who think it’s a conflict of interest are only going to find more things to get pissed off about Tom Brady being an owner and also lead voice commentary.”

Brady the broadcaster is perhaps even more polarizing than Brady the quarterback. From his lucrative Fox contract to his uneven performance in the booth this season, everyone has their corner when it comes to the former quarterback.

It may not be a surprise that two fellow players who competed against Brady would side with him, but McAfee and Hawk’s words certainly hold weight given the size of their platform.