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Could Tom Brady be headed to the owner’s box?
Tom Brady could be coming back to the NFL.
In the owner’s box, with the Las Vegas Raiders.
According to a report from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Adam Schefter, the retired quarterback is in discussions with the Raiders about joining as a limited partner.
“Discussions between the two sides have been going on for weeks and could soon be reaching a resolution, yet sources say it’s still an extremely sensitive and fluid negotiation. Brady’s investment is expected to be “passive,” a source with direct knowledge of the situation says, and he would not have any operational control or authority over the club, both in business and football matters.”
The move would be the second time that Brady and Raiders owner Mark Davis entered into a deal regarding ownership of a franchise. Back in March it was announced the Brady had purchased a stake in the Las Vegas Aces, the WNBA franchise. Davis is the majority owner of the team.
This is also not Brady’s first foray into NFL ownership. During the 2021 and 2022 seasons Brady reportedly had discussions with Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross about joining the organization as a limited partner. Following an investigation into the matter, the Dolphins were found to have violated the league’s tampering policy, and forfeited their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
There is also another matter to consider. Brady is in line to join the commentary booth with Fox Sports for the 2024 season, having signed a ten-year, $375 million contract to be in the booth for NFL games. According to the report from Schefter and Wickersham, the network has signed off on the idea, and Brady’s potential involvement as a limited partner would not violate league rules.
“A source told ESPN that Fox has “blessed” the arrangement. Sources said that league policy about team ownership overlapping with media employment only comes into play if the owner holds a position of authority at the media company and could impact broadcast rights negotiations. Fox and the NFL agreed to an 11-year rights deal in 2021.”
Even if Davis and Brady come to an agreement, it would need to be approved by the league’s owners. Under NFL rules, at least 24 current team owners would have to vet and approve Brady’s ownership stake, as is the case with all minority and majority owners.
Then there is also the fact that Brady played for years with current Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator in New England with the Patriots. But we can leave that kind of speculation for another time … along with the inevitable Tuck Rule jokes should this deal go through.
