Tom Brady, seven-time Super Bowl champ turned Fox Sports’ $37.5 million man, appeared in the Raiders’ coaches’ booth during Monday Night Football, headset on, eyes locked. To many, it looked less like a broadcaster doing homework and more like an owner calling plays.
Then, the rumors started. Football expert Peter Schrager said former quarterback Brady talks often with Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly – not just sometimes, but two or three times each week – sharing ideas, according to TMZ Sports.
“I think he’s got some level of involvement,” analyst Michael Babcock said. “There’s no way that they’ve got Tom Brady sitting there and nobody’s asking Tom what he thinks. In my mind, that’s too far-fetched for me to believe.
“Do I necessarily think that he’s game planning two times a week on the phone with Chip Kelly for hours? Now, I don’t necessarily believe that either,” he added.
Meanwhile, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll admitted after first denying it:
“Chip talks to Tom, regularly,” Carroll said. “I mean, we have a tremendous asset, and we all get along well, and we respect each other. And we just talk about life and football, and whatever it comes, and he has great insight.”
Tom Brady Takes Privilege?
According to critics, Brady’s job at Fox requires him to meet with teams before each broadcast, sitting in private sessions where coaches spill game plans and players reveal tendencies. The concern? He takes that privileged intel back to Las Vegas, where he’s also a minority owner. Radio host Dan Patrick points to a looming example:
“Last night, I see Tom, he’s in the coach’s booth,” Patrick said. “He’s there helping Chip Kelly, the offensive coordinator. He’s got a headset on, and I’m thinking, okay, let me look at Tom’s schedule here coming up, just in case there’s a conflict of interest.
“Like he would be doing a game, and then that team would be playing the Raiders. Well, he’s got the Cowboys and the Bears, and then the Bears play the Raiders. That’s a direct conflict of interest.”
The league signed off on Brady’s unusual setup years ago, valuing his star power. But division rivals are howling, may call it a loophole that tilts the playing field.
The Heat Won’t Fade
And this is Tom Brady we’re talking about. The same competitor who studied film like a monk and found daylight where no one else did. For now, the NFL looks the other way, balancing integrity against entertainment. But the heat won’t fade. If the Raiders win a tight game against a team Brady broadcast the week before, or if a free agent he once interviewed signs in Vegas, the uproar will roar back.
In the future, Brady might have a big decision to make. He can either be a TV commentator or help a team win on the field. Which one will he choose?
The Raiders play the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Sept 21, at 10:00 AM PDT.
Main Image: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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