Tom Brady is now undoubtedly a brand! That’s probably why he leveraged his on-field excellence and charm to land a 10-year, $375 million contract as a color commentator, despite being a rookie in the field. Just a few games into his FOX experience, Brady has achieved another milestone by becoming a minority stakeholder in the Las Vegas Raiders. But here’s the twist!
After being approved as a minority owner of the franchise, Brady now has to follow certain restrictions set by the league. Among these challenges, he won’t be allowed to enter another team’s facility, observe practice, or even attend broadcast production meetings. This creates a conflict for him.
The issue was explained by analyst Mike Florio on Sunday Night Football on NBC, where he said, “He’s [Tom Brady] got a clear conflict of interest as the NFL recognizes from the restrictions they’ve placed on his ability to do his Fox job. When you are part owner of an NFL franchise and at the same time you are working for a broadcast partner handling the game supposedly with objectivity and neutrality for all of the League’s teams, in theory, how can you justify that? How can you resolve that? It’s impossible, and it’s a disservice to the Fox audience.”
In addition, Florio believes that Brady’s dual roles could be unfair not only to FOX but also to the Raiders‘. He emphasized that Brady should choose one role, as managing both compromises his responsibilities on either side.
Well, this fear could be real for Tom Brady, as earlier, former football safety highlighted his “selfishness” and the potential impact of this conflict on his post-retirement career.
Is Tom Brady being selfish or non-judgmental?
Probably trying to be a business tycoon, the brand “Tom Brady” is pursuing every opportunity, securing two major achievements: a FOX broadcasting deal and 5% ownership of the Raiders. But given the league’s rules and restrictions for an owner, will he be able to fulfill his responsibilities as a FOX commentator? Before Mike Florio raised this concern, former safety Ryan Clark expressed similar thoughts about Brady’s dual roles.
During the Pivot Podcast last month, Clark said, “Tom Brady is going to have to, for the first time in his career, choose selfishness, right? And he’s also going to have to choose to not fully, one hundred percent, be invested in a job.” While mentioning the restrictions, the former athlete didn’t stop there. He continued to explain his point with a genuine concern: “How do I know if what Tom Brady is saying about the league is real when there’s a limitation on what he can do or say about the NFL” after the ownership? This resonates with fans who wouldn’t want to see their favorite star speaking with divided loyalties.
