LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tom Brady has addressed concerns about his dual roles as a Fox Sports NFL analyst and partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, saying only those "paranoid and distrustful” believe there’s a conflict of interest.
Brady wrote about the concerns in “The 199,” his weekly newsletter, which was published Wednesday.
The questions about Brady intensified after he was shown in the Raiders' coaching booth with a headset on during a 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 15.
Brady wrote:
“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. Rather, it’s the place from which my ethical duty emerges: to grow, evolve, and improve the game that has given me everything."
The NFL said Brady did not violate any rules by being in the coaches box because there aren't any policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the booth or wearing a headset during a game.
Brady also was in the booth when the Raiders played the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game on Aug. 16 in Las Vegas. Whether he is at the Raiders’ other two prime-time, non-Sunday games remains to be seen. Las Vegas is at Denver on Thursday, Nov. 6, and then host Dallas on Monday, Nov. 17.
The NFL has previously placed restrictions on Brady in his role as a broadcaster, though the league eased some of those this season. Brady is now allowed to participate in production meetings with teams ahead of a game, as long as they are conducted virtually or via Zoom. He still isn’t allowed to watch another team’s practices or set foot in a team’s training complex.
The Brady rules were put in place because the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has a 5% ownership stake in the Raiders.
The Raiders (1-2) host the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Brady called last week's game between the Bears and Dallas Cowboys, but Chicago coach Ben Johnson said last week he wasn't worried about it.
“I mean, we change week-to-week in terms of what we do schematically. He’s going to be able to turn on the tape and see what everyone else in the world is seeing right now. Personnel wise, really the same thing,” Johnson said last week when asked about Brady being in production meetings. "It’s not like I’m going to sit down with him and tell, ‘Hey, don’t do this to Caleb Williams or you might get him.’ There’s not going to be any trade secrets that are going to be exchanged. I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest with you.”
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