Get ready for another month of conversations about the conflict of interest that Tom Brady faces in his dual roles as a game analyst at Fox and as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
As many expected them to do, the Raiders made their presence felt on Black Monday by firing Pete Carroll after just one season. And in a statement announcing the move, Las Vegas specifically mentioned Brady, noting that the 7-time Super Bowl quarterback will be directly involved in the team’s search for its next head coach.
“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach,” Raiders principal owner Mark Davis said in the statement. “Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 5, 2026
While there has been no shortage of speculation regarding Brady’s role within the Raiders, this appears to be the first time that Las Vegas has directly acknowledged his involvement in football operations. Not that we necessarily needed any public confirmation, after ESPN cameras captured the 3-time NFL MVP wearing a headset in the team’s coaches’ booth as Las Vegas played on Monday Night Football earlier this season.
Still, it’s one thing for people to speculate about Brady’s involvement and another for the Raiders to effectively advertise it. Especially when he still has to call three postseason games for Fox this season, some of which could potentially feature candidates Las Vegas is interested in hiring.
That’s exactly what happened a year ago, as Brady called multiple games featuring the Detroit Lions while the Raiders were simultaneously interested in their offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for their own head coaching vacancy. And that prompted no shortage of conversation regarding the 48-year-old’s apparent of interest, which his own broadcast attempted to address.
Ultimately, Johnson landed with the Chicago Bears, the New York Jets hired Glenn and the Raiders settled on Carroll. Las Vegas proceeded to amass a 3-14 record and enters this offseason laying claim to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This past season has already shown that Brady is much improved as a broadcaster. Now it’s time to find out whether he can do the same when it comes to helping pick head coaches.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.