After retiring as a player a few years ago, NFL legend Tom Brady now has a unique dual role as both a commentator for Fox and a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders franchise. However, there has been some growing concern about the fairness of allowing Brady to hold both of these roles.
During Monday night’s game between the Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, Brady was seen in the coaches’ booth with a headset on, while ESPN reporter Pete Schrager reported Brady speaks with Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly several times each week in preparation for the upcoming game.
Given Brady’s clear influence within the Raiders organization, there has been some outrage about the inside information Brady gets due to his role as a broadcaster.
Brady’s Role as an Analyst and Owner
Last season, Brady stepped into his role as an in-game analyst for Fox for the first time while also serving as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders franchise. Given that this appeared to be a conflict of interest, there were some rules that he had to follow last season.
Last season, Brady was barred from weekly production meetings where broadcast teams gathered information about the upcoming game, which often included information about the teams, players, coaches, and other things that were not available to the public.
While Brady is still barred from attending team practices, the NFL has eased its restrictions and now allows him to attend the production meetings virtually. However, it’s worth noting that Brady’s Fox colleagues are still allowed to attend team practices and could provide him with additional information from their observations.
Brady’s Influence Within the Raiders
While Brady’s exact role within the Raiders organization is not completely clear to anyone outside the organization, it seems that it is rather influential.
During Monday night’s game between the Raiders and the Chargers, Brady was seen in the coaches’ booth wearing a headset, indicating that he was somehow involved in the team’s communication during the game.
Schrager also reported that Brady speaks with Kelly, the team’s offensive coordinator, several times each week ahead of each game, including film sessions.
“We’ve got a special member of the Raiders ownership group here today, and that is Tom Brady, who is in the house and is with the coaches’ box here tonight,” Schrager said before the game. “Was wondering how much Brady really had an involvement with this team. We hear so much about Brady as the owner. Chip Kelly told us this. He talks to Brady two to three times a week. They go through film, they go through the gameplan. And Brady is a luxury for the coaches. Who else has an owner who has been there and done that.”
Influential NFL Voices Express Outrage
Brady’s appearance in the booth for the Raiders, coupled with Schrager’s report about his influence within the organization, quickly spread around the league and sparked outrage amongst some influential voices.
During an appearance on First Take on Monday, ESPN’s Marcus Spears, who is a former NFL defensive end, called it “abhorrent” that Brady was allowed to have inside access while filling such an influential role within the Raiders.
“It’s abhorrent for me for his job. I love it for his team. You’re the five percent owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Sit wherever the hell you want to sit at the game. If you want to be on the sideline with a headset on, go on, be on the sideline with a headset on,” Spears said. “This should not happen with him being a commentator of NFL football games. It actually questions the integrity of the NFL. Now, teams have to be smart and not divulge information when he’s on a call because at some point the Raiders are gonna play the teams that he’s sitting in on these meetings.”
That stance was echoed by many prominent voices in the media, as well.
“This is such a ridiculous conflict of interest. Brady was just calling the Commanders game last week. Got tons of behind the scenes access. But he can just be in the coaching booth when they play in WSH next week? How is this allowed? It’s nuts,” sports commentator Grant Paulsen wrote in a post on X.
A retired coach called tonight saying same thing. He can’t believe it’s allowed. https://t.co/TBmuTyMaFt
— Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) September 16, 2025
Mike Sando of The Athletic reported on X that a retired NFL coach called him to express a similar opinion.
“Tom Brady meets with Chip Kelly 2-3 times a week to go over film and go through the game plan,” NFL insider James Palmer of Bleacher Report and The Athletic wrote in a post on X. “And every weekend Brady is calling a game for Fox, gathering as much information as possible from players and coaches from both teams to be at his best in the broadcast booth. Got it.”
People think of just the strategic stuff, but it goes deeper than that. You could also gather pertinent detail on players in production meetings to inform free-agent signings and trades. Or figure out who the key ass’t coaches are and try to poach them.
Lots of layers to this. https://t.co/ei7yKSK7se
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 16, 2025
“People think of just the strategic stuff, but it goes deeper than that. You could also gather pertinent detail on players in production meetings to inform free-agent signings and trades. Or figure out who the key ass’t coaches are and try to poach them. Lots of layers to this,” NFL insider Albert Breer added.
Pete Carroll Weighs In
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll pumped the brakes a bit on Brady’s influence within the organization.
After the game, Carroll was asked about Schrager’s report that Brady was involved in game-planning and met with Kelly multiple times throughout the week. However, the coach insisted that the report was “not accurate” – though he did concede that he and Kelly both talk to Brady “regularly” and called him” a tremendous asset.”
“That’s not accurate. That’s not accurate. That’s not accurate,” Carroll insisted during his press conference. “We have conversations. I talk to Tom and Chip talks to Tom regularly. We have a tremendous asset, and we all get along well and respect each other. And so, we just talk about life and football and whatever comes. He has great insight, so, we’re lucky to have him as an owner.”
It’s worth noting that Schrager’s report cited a direct conversation with Kelly himself.
