As a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, there are certain things Tom Brady is not allowed to do in his role as an analyst for Fox.
We’ve written that the only rule(s) for Brady is that there are no rules, and even then, he’s had to be careful with his language and how it relates to officials. To Brady’s credit, he’s gotten better every week in the broadcast booth alongside Kevin Burkhardt, while having one hand tied behind his back.
That hand was a bit loose in Week 9.
Brady is not allowed to criticize officials, but that rule is a bit ambiguous. Does that mean he’s not allowed to criticize an individual official or that he can turn up his nose at calls he doesn’t agree with? How about if the call comes from the NFL officiating command center in New York?
Well, we’re about to find out.
In the second quarter of Sunday’s Lions-Packers game, Detroit’s Brian Branch was penalized for a hit to the head/neck area of Green Bay’s Bo Melton. It was an obvious penalty and a clear-cut foul by the letter of the law. There was no arguing that. These are the types of hits that the NFL is attempting to avoid. Regardless of how you view the league’s attempt to focus on player safety, this seemed to be a call that Brady agreed with.
That was until he didn’t.
After getting word from New York, the officiating crew in Green Bay ejected the Lions’ second-year safety. Obviously, that call is out of their hands, with head ref Clete Blakeman relaying the decision to have Branch hit the showers early.
“I don’t love that call at all,” Brady said. “I mean, obviously, it’s a penalty, but, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
“I don’t love that call at all. I mean, obviously, it’s a penalty, but, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
Is Tom Brady allowed to say that? pic.twitter.com/FOVEuLWJFV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 3, 2024
Whether the league would see that as Brady attempting to criticize the officiating crew is anyone’s guess. He agreed with the penalty but stopped short of endorsing the decision to eject Branch from the game. On paper there’s nothing wrong with him saying he didn’t think Branch had the intent to injure Melton purposefully, but there’s truly a lot of room for interpretation of what’s allowed and what’s not here.
You can disagree with a call without criticizing an official—that’s the tightrope Brady is walking. He managed to voice his frustration with the ejection decision without aiming at any particular official, keeping his language broad and carefully worded.
Regardless, Brady is still walking a fine line.
He’s been cautious in how he phrases his comments, often framing critiques around the game or situations rather than pinpointing blame. Yet, this particular moment on-air was about as close as he has come to voicing direct disapproval.
As a minority owner, Brady’s in a unique spot where his NFL ties run deeper than most announcers. He’s a former player, a partial owner, and now a commentator, all of which mean he has to juggle a complex set of allegiances.
And while he might keep toeing the line, there’s an open question about how much more he’s willing to hold back. For fans hoping for that uncensored Brady take, this is about as close as it gets, at least for now.
