On Friday, it was reported that future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady, was in “deep discussions” to become a limited partner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
That news came as little surprise as rumors of Brady’s desire to become a team owner have lingered for years. As recently as last season, there was speculation that Brady would end up with the Miami Dolphins as both a part-owner and quarterback, ultimately teaming with head coach Sean Payton.
That obviously did not happen, but it’s clear Brady remains on an ownership path.
But what does that mean for the 10-year, $375 million agreement Brady has with FOX? Would he still be able to broadcast games as part-owner of an NFL team? And if so, what sort of limitations would it require?
There are obviously a lot of moving pieces at the moment but ESPN reports that FOX has “blessed” the arrangement. And according to NFL policy, a conflict of interest would only occur if the owner “holds a position of authority at the media company and could impact broadcast rights negotiations.”
If Brady were to become part-owner of the Raiders, his role would reportedly be “passive” and he would not have any input on day-to-day operations or football decisions.
Still, it would be safe to assume that any opponents of the Raiders would like to prevent Brady from attending their practices, having media access or conducting pre-production meetings for FOX fearing it would create an uneven playing field. That is something that could create rough waters for FOX and is something they would have to figure out how to navigate.
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