Fox NFL broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady speaks to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

How concerned should Chargers fans be with Raiders co-owner Tom Brady calling game?

Originally posted on Los Angeles Chargers on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 11:38 AM ET

The Los Angeles Chargers hope to rebound from their first loss of the season, falling to the New York Giants 21-18 in Week 4.

They have another NFC East opponent in Week 5, but this time they won't have to travel across the country. Instead, the Washington Commanders will travel to SoFi Stadium for a 1:25 PM PST game.

While that's good news, the broadcast crew announcement hasn't been met with the same enthusiasm. Fox decided to put Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady in the booth for this one.

This is interesting given that Brady is the co-owner of one of the Chargers' AFC West rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. It's also garnering attention since the league relaxed the rules regarding Brady's pre-game contact with opposing teams.

Last year, Brady wasn't allowed to take part in "pre-production" interviews with players and coaches. This year, he's allowed to conduct virtual interviews, but isn't able to visit their facilities. Still, there's a belief that he can get insider information that could help his team down the road.

How worried should Chargers fans be about Tom Brady?

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

For what it's worth, Brady says there's no advantage. He even took aim at critics, calling them "paranoid and distrustful."

It's actually comical that Brady would call anyone "paranoid and distrustful" when his career featured two major cheating accusations. Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, was there during the SpyGate scandal as well as DeflateGate. In both instances, Brady or a member of his organization, were accused of trying to gain an unfair advantage.

So fans can be forgiven for taking Brady's claims with a grain of salt, especially when he was seen wearing a coaching headset when the Raiders and Chargers played on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

In the end, there's not much that Brady can learn through the interviews that he wouldn't be able to from watching the games. Still, it wouldn't be upsetting to know players held back when speaking with Brady, because he will use any advantage he can. His track record proves as much.