In August, Tom Brady agreed to a host of rules laid out by the NFL that would restrict his access to teams and their weekly game planning ahead of his new broadcasting job with FOX.
And along with agreeing to those restrictions, Brady also made a promise to the league and all the owners: He would not unretire.
A source tells CBS Sports that promise was reiterated Tuesday at the NFL’s league meetings in Atlanta just before owners voted unanimously to approve the seven-time Super Bowl champion as a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The promise was ultimately moot since Brady, as an owner, can’t also be an employee of the team, as CBS Sports previously reported. But it shows the lengths Brady was willing to go in order to secure his piece of the Raiders.
Brady’s exact ownership is convoluted, but a source told CBS Sports that for all intents and purposes, the quarterback’s purchase was for 5% of the team. His purchase was coupled with Tom Wagner, Brady’s business partner and co-founder of Knighthead Capital.
Raiders owner Mark Davis said Tuesday he didn’t want to comment on Brady’s future role with the Raiders, but he wasn’t shy about admitting he will lean on Brady for football advice.
“Although Tom can’t play, I think he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train him as well,” Davis said. “So it’s a huge benefit for the organization.”
The Raiders know they don’t have their quarterback of the future on the roster. Coach Antonio Pierce urged general manager Tom Telesco to trade up in April’s draft to get Jayden Daniels, but the Commanders had no interest in dealing the pick.
As Brady could help the quarterback of the future, he was nearly the quarterback of the past. Davis revealed the Raiders wanted Brady in 2020 when he was leaving the Patriots. The Raiders had Derek Carr, and he was in the middle of a five-year contract extension that at one point had made him the highest-paid player in the league.
The Athletic reported it was Gruden who didn’t want Brady. The Bears were also involved with Brady but were told questions along their offensive line put them behind the Buccaneers, according to a source with knowledge of the events.
Brady has been working for more than a year to get a piece of the Raiders, and he got his share at a steep discount on the team’s valuation, according to multiple sources.
As he neared getting his slice, Brady was about to embark on his broadcasting career. The league, hearing complaints from some team owners, put in place several restrictions on his access to teams even before this week’s vote.
Brady can’t go into other teams’ facilities, can’t sit in on production meetings and can’t witness practice, among other prohibitions he agreed to in the preseason. Davis, to his credit, said he understood the concerns, and Tuesday admitted he wouldn’t want Chiefs owner Clark Hunt interviewing his coach and quarterback before a game.
Sources believe Davis wanted Brady on board for several reasons. There’s the cash infusion, yes, and there’s the marketing and ticket sales. There’s also the cache of having the GOAT as an adviser and business partner.
Brady has been a part owner of the Las Vegas Aces, the WNBA team owned by Davis. And Brady’s influence has been a part of the Raiders for some time now. His longtime trainer, Alex Guerrero, consulted with the team dating to last year, and he’s been on the sideline for all Raiders games this season, according to sources.
Brady’s new role also brings the natural link to Bill Belichick, who plans to coach again in 2025. First of all, there is no open seat in Las Vegas. Davis hired Pierce without any real search last year, following Pierce’s successful stint as interim.
Last year, Davis showed no interest in bringing on Belichick or Mike Vrabel, both free agents who will have a market this year. A source said the “miserable existence” during the Josh McDaniels tenure influenced Davis’ decision to not go that route.
Also, sources believe Belichick would bring McDaniels with him at his next stop. It’s not unheard of for a former coach to become a coordinator at his old spot but, again, it’s difficult to believe McDaniels would be back in that building so soon after how things ended last October.
Besides, the AFC West offers an enormous challenge to postseason contention. Belichick trails Don Shula in all-time regular-season wins by 26, and it’s just 14 when you include playoffs. There are easier divisions in football to get the record than the one occupied by Patrick Mahomes.
A reporter asked Davis on Tuesday night, a few hours after Brady had been officially approved, what he could get from Brady being a part owner now versus being just an adviser the day before.
“I don’t know that I can answer that. We’ll see,” Davis said. “Today’s Day 1. My dad said the greatness of the Raiders is the future. Well, today is starting that future.”
Less than 24 hours later Brady walked into the lobby of the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters. He carried with him a silver insulated water bottle and a career 6-1 record against the franchise. Sam Spence’s musical score for “The Autumn Wind” played over the standing applause of the entire staff.
