Even in retirement, Tom Brady was a main character this NFL season. And heading into the playoffs, Brady figures to stay in the spotlight.
In addition to calling his first postseason game for Fox this weekend, Brady will reportedly have “significant influence” in the Las Vegas Raiders’ coaching search as a minority owner.
The situation places the conflict of interest facing Brady front and center heading into Wild Card weekend.
Brady will be in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon to call the most hyped matchup of the weekend between the Eagles and Green Bay Packers. While preparing for the game, Brady will likely be in touch with Raiders owner Marc Davis and general manager Tom Telesco to find candidates to replace Pierce.
Start with the two teams Brady will be prepping for. While previously reported restrictions from the NFL mean that Brady cannot step foot at the Eagles facility, he will be around Eagles coaches at Lincoln Financial Field on gameday and hold significant influence over how they are perceived during the broadcast. It wouldn’t be a big shock if either Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore came up on the Raiders’ list this winter.
Perhaps Las Vegas looks again at Rich Bisaccia, the assistant head coach in Green Bay who previously was an interim head coach for the Raiders.
With Pierce on the hot seat after Week 17, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Brady would be heavily involved in a potential search in Las Vegas.
“I would expect that Tom Brady, as a minority owner, will have significant influence on who the next head coach will be,” Russini wrote then.
Following Pierce’s dismissal, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter backed up Russini’s report.
Raiders limited owner Tom Brady is expected to be part of a collaborative committee to interview head coaching candidates and support team owner Mark Davis, per league sources. pic.twitter.com/0xyl0kAYv3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 7, 2025
Even if Las Vegas doesn’t consider a coach from Philadelphia or Green Bay, the situation highlights why Brady being a top broadcaster and helping to run a team is a problem for the NFL.
Up and down in his first season at Fox, Brady was hampered by NFL-imposed rules as a result of investing in the Raiders. The league prevented him from going to team facilities, meeting with team personnel, and criticizing opposing teams or referees. Fox got creative earlier in the season by having Brady interview Patrick Mahomes off-site. NFL reporters differ on just how strictly the league is enforcing those rules, but they garnered significant attention.
Because of this conflict of interest and Brady’s uneven performance in the booth, sports media analysts are split on whether Brady will continue at Fox beyond this season. Given that his ownership stake in Las Vegas was just approved in October, perhaps Brady himself is still getting used to the new role.
However, with a lot to address in Las Vegas and Brady openly acknowledging a desire for NFL work “beyond” broadcasting, Brady will have much to weigh while considering his future in this unique dual role.
