A conversation focused on the Philadelphia Eagles that took place on Monday’s episode of First Take resulted in Stephen A. Smith calling for Tom Brady to take over the football operations of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The debate in question came as a result of the Eagles’ 31-0 blowout victory over the Raiders on Sunday. But when asked whether the win indicates that the defending Super Bowl champions are back on track, Smith indicated that the game said more about the sorry state of Las Vegas than it did about Philadelphia potentially rounding into form.
“They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” Smith said. “But right now, the Raiders are so awful that the stench has circulated throughout the country. Every football city recognizes how awful they have been.”
ESPN’s $100 million man, however, believes there is one potential solution the Raiders could turn to. Pointing to Brady’s status as a minority owner of the franchise, Smith called for 7-time Super Bowl champion quarterback to take over football operations, as unlikely as him doing so might be.
“Put Tom Brady in charge… I don’t care about him being just a part-owner. Hand over football operations to Tom Brady, OK?” he said. “Not that you can, because he’s not going to leave the job that he’s got at Fox paying him over $37 million to run the damn Raiders. He ain’t stupid at all. But ask him anyways. Figure out something. Because you need all the help you can get.”
Stephen A. Smith calls for Tom Brady to take over football operations for the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Not that you can, because he’s not going to leave the job that he’s got at Fox paying him over $37 million to run the damn Raiders. He ain’t stupid at all. But ask him anyways.” pic.twitter.com/V8ya0UCstV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 15, 2025
While Smith is likely right that Brady won’t be giving up his gig as Fox’s No. 1 game analyst to become the Raiders’ president of football operations anytime soon, his involvement in the team’s decision-making has been a topic of conversation ever since he purchased a five percent stake in the franchise in the fall of 2024. As was widely covered at the time, the 3-time NFL MVP was even spotted in Las Vegas’ coaching booth during its Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, reigniting the debate regarding his potential conflict of interest as a Fox broadcaster.
It’s also worth noting that Brady was reportedly instrumental in the Raiders hiring head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek this past offseason, two moves that haven’t aged particularly well. Factor in the role that he reportedly played in Las Vegas acquiring quarterback Geno Smith, and it would be tough to argue that there’s much evidence that the answer to the Raiders’ struggles is Brady becoming more involved on the football side.
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.