Tom Brady. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Tom Brady is firing back at critics who claim his dual roles as a Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and Fox Sports broadcaster create a conflict of interest. Writing in his Wednesday newsletter under the title Do Your Job, the seven-time Super Bowl champion said only the “paranoid and distrustful” would see a problem.
“I love football. At its core, it is a game of principles. And with all the success it has given me, I feel I have a moral and ethical duty to the sport; which is why the point where my roles in it intersect is not actually a point of conflict, despite what the paranoid and distrustful might believe,” Brady wrote. “Rather, it’s the place from which my ethical duty emerges: to grow, evolve, and improve the game that has given me everything.”
Conflict Concerns Raised
The controversy stems from the unusual access Brady has in his role as a broadcaster. Fox analysts meet with coaches and players in production meetings before games, a privilege NFL owners typically do not have. The issue came into the spotlight during Week 2 when ESPN cameras showed Brady in the Raiders’ booth wearing a headset during Las Vegas’ 20-9 loss to the Chargers.
The NFL later clarified that Brady had not violated any league rules. While he is barred from attending practices or production meetings in person, Brady is permitted to sit in the coaches’ booth and participate remotely in broadcast prep sessions.
Fox Deal and Raiders Role
Brady joined Fox on a 10-year, $375 million broadcasting deal originally signed in 2022. His minority ownership stake in the Raiders, approved last October, led to restrictions on his broadcast role, though the league has since loosened some of those limits.
Brady has been consulting with Raiders leadership since stepping into his ownership role. General manager John Spytek called Brady’s voice “invaluable,” while offensive coordinator Chip Kelly told ESPN he speaks with Brady multiple times a week to review film and offensive strategy — though head coach Pete Carroll pushed back, saying those reports were “not accurate.”
“Distrust Blinds People”
In his newsletter, Brady defended his approach as consistent with the Patriots’ “Do Your Job” mantra instilled by Bill Belichick. He argued that his perspective helps both the Raiders and football fans watching at home.
“If I can bring my knowledge and experience to bear inside the Raiders organization to ensure there’s one more team that does things the right way; and then I can apply it in the booth so millions of people know and enjoy what the right way looks like — then I will have lived up to the expectations I have for myself,” Brady wrote.
He criticized skeptics as being blinded by distrust: “They can only conceive of interests that are selfish; they cannot imagine a person doing their job for reasons that are greater than themselves. These kinds of people make horrible teammates, by the way.”
Looking Ahead
Brady is still new to the Fox booth, having joined the broadcast team this season after his 23-year playing career. He worked the Bears-Cowboys matchup in Week 3 and will be on the call for the Bears-Raiders game in Week 4 — a matchup that once again puts his dual roles under the microscope.
For Brady, though, there is no dilemma. “When you’re blinded by distrust, it’s hard to see anything other than self-interest,” he wrote. “I see duty. And that’s why I’ll keep doing my job.”
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