Pete Carroll during Raiders postgame press conference Credit: Vegas Sports Today

We all saw Tom Brady in the Las Vegas Raiders coaches’ box Monday night, but Pete Carroll is still claiming ESPN’s report about the minority owner’s involvement is not accurate.

During the first quarter of ESPN’s second Monday Night Football broadcast this week featuring the Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers, Peter Schrager, serving as an on-field reporter, told viewers Brady was at the game and sitting in the coaches’ box with a headset on.

Additionally, Schrager reported Brady speaks with Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly several times each week.


“We’ve got a special member of the Raiders ownership group here today, and that is Tom Brady, who is in the house and is with the coaches’ box here tonight,” said Schrager. “Was wondering how much Brady really had an involvement with this team. We hear so much about Brady as the owner. Chip Kelly told us this. He talks to Brady two to three times a week. They go through film, they go through the gameplan. And Brady is a luxury for the coaches. Who else has an owner who has been there and done that.”

After the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Chargers, Pete Carroll was asked about Tom Brady regularly speaking with Kelly during his postgame press conference, and the head coach was quick to dismiss Schrager’s report.


“That’s not accurate. That’s not accurate. That’s not accurate,” Carroll insisted three times. “We have conversations. I talk to Tom and Chip talks to Tom regularly. We have a tremendous asset, and we all get along well and respect each other. And so, we just talk about life and football and whatever comes. He has great insight, so, we’re lucky to have him as an owner.”

Carroll can say that’s not accurate as many times as he wants. But Schrager reported the information came directly from Kelly, and we all saw Brady sitting in the coaches’ box with a headset on.

Tom Brady faced restrictions as a broadcaster for Fox last year because of his minority ownership with the Raiders. Those restrictions have since been relaxed with the NFL allowing Brady to participate in production meetings with opposing players and coaches at team facilities this season. But after seeing Brady with a headset on and learning about his level of involvement in the offense’s gameplan, it would be hard to argue if other teams push back on Fox employing an active minority owner as its lead analyst.

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com