There’s been a lot of talk about Tom Brady’s role with the Las Vegas Raiders this year. This would be a non-issue in most cases, but Brady is also a color commentator for Fox, which complicates matters.
It seemed like the concern about this situation was answered when the NFL placed restrictions on Brady’s access to teams he’s covering, but it became a big deal again when ESPN showed the legendary quarterback in the Raiders’ booth with a headset on during the team’s Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
The broadcast also reported that Brady was involved with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s gameplanning. This caused many to accuse the Raiders of having an unfair advantage. According to Monday Night Football commentator Joe Buck, the Raiders aren’t big fans of ESPN right now.
“I think it was more perception of it, than reality. … It was the visual,” Buck said on “The Pivot Podcast.” “The last person I’m telling what to do is Tom Brady. But yeah, I thought the visibility — and I know they weren’t happy that that got out, but he’s in a booth with a headset on.
“We’re all at least smart enough to know that there are cameras everywhere, and they’re gonna find you. Cameras found him and then it became a big thing and then just like everything else in the world, it goes away five seconds later and everybody moves on.”
Brady Hasn’t Been Seen at Raiders Game Since Week 2
Since the drama stemming from Monday Night Football, Brady has not been seen at any Raiders games. However, that could have more to do with the fact that the team has been playing on Sundays, which is when Brady has to do work for Fox.
The Raiders’ next primetime game comes in Week 10 against the Denver Broncos. That will be on Thursday Night Football, so there shouldn’t be anything keeping Brady from attending. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s at the game and in the booth with a headset again.
Will This Issue Ever Go Away for Raiders?
From the Raiders’ side of things, they haven’t done anything to bend the rules. What Brady chooses to do with his personal career isn’t something the team can dictate.
There’s no doubt that owner Mark Davis would prefer to have Brady focused solely on the Raiders, but he’s also getting paid $37.5 million a year by Fox. Brady isn’t a billionaire like other NFL owners, so he still wants to make money doing other things.
That said, there could be a chance that he eventually decides he’d rather focus on the Raiders. Commentating won’t offer him the same level of competition that he’d get from being involved with a franchise on a day-to-day basis. He’s got plenty of time to make a decision. Brady may just fulfill the full 10 years of his Fox contract and then eventually take on a larger role with the Raiders. Davis is 70 and will eventually want somebody else to run the football operations for the team.
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