Tom Brady Joins Las Vegas Raiders Ownership Group

Tom Brady, the winningest quarterback in NFL history, is now a part of the “Just win, baby” Las Vegas Raiders. On Tuesday, his purchase of 5% of the Raiders was approved by NFL owners.

“Throughout my NFL career, I’ve learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” Brady said in a statement released on Tuesday. “The Raiders franchise, and the city of Las Vegas, embody these same values, and I’m honored to become a part of that story.”

Principal owner Mark Davis said of Brady, “We’re just really proud to have him as a partner. He’s a competitor. He’s a bright young man. Although Tom can’t play, I think he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train as well.”

Brady and Raiders Have History

The last time the Raiders won a postseason game was following the 2002 season, when they went to the Super Bowl and lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also had playoff wins following the 2001 and 2000 seasons. In the 2001 playoffs, the Raiders famously lost to Brady and the New England Patriots because of the controversial Tuck Rule.

Davis quipped to reporters, “Tom is somebody that for many years I didn’t like very much.” But in explaining why it’s okay to now have Brady with the team, Davis said, “[Brady] did admit that it was a fumble.”

Following the Raiders loss in Super Bowl XXXVII, they would appear in the playoffs just two more times, losing to the Houston Texans in January 2017, and the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2022. Over that same stretch, Brady won 31 postseason games and six of his seven Super Bowl titles.

Raiders fans for years have blamed Brady and the Tuck Rule for the fates of their two franchises. Now they are hoping that Brady can return a winner to Raider Nation.

Rebuilding the Raiders

Step one in looking ahead to the future was the welcoming of Brady into the Raiders family. Step two is turning over a roster that is light on talent and missing a franchise quarterback. That process also began on Tuesday with the trade of wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets in an exchange for a conditional third-round draft pick. If Adams finishes the season as a first- or second-team All-Pro, or is an active member of the Jets for the AFC Championship or Super Bowl, the pick becomes a second-round selection.

Stockpiling draft picks is a start, and getting Adam’s remaining $70 million contract off their books helps. But none of it will matter if they can’t find a quarterback. But finding one and developing one isn’t as easy as Davis makes it sound. And being a great quarterback yourself doesn’t make it any easier.

That’s what plagued John Elway during his 10 years as the general manager of the Denver Broncos. Plugging in Peyton Manning was easy. Finding his replacement was near impossible. Over the final five years of Elway’s time as G.M., the Broncos started 13 different quarterbacks.

Brady isn’t becoming the general manager of the Raiders. That job still belongs to Tom Telesco. But he was linked to the Raiders’ search for a head coach last year before he was officially a member of ownership, so it’s hard to picture him being a hands-off owner.

Brady the Broadcaster

Now that Brady has a clearly defined interest in one of the NFL’s 32 teams and not the other 31, his job as a Fox broadcaster will come with restrictions.

He is not permitted to be inside another team’s facilities. The rest of the broadcast team can and will be inside facilities as they get ready for that week’s game, but Brady can’t join them. He is also forbidden from witnessing practice or participating in broadcast production meetings, either in-person or virtually. 

Brady can no longer publicly criticize officials, teams, or players. He is now subject to the NFL’s anti-tampering policies, as well as the league’s gambling policy.

In 2022, Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox to become the network’s lead color commentator for NFL games. He began that job this season.

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