Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Brady before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

How Tom Brady Changed Ben Johnson's Original Plan

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders wasted no time making sweeping changes in an effort to improve as a team and an organization. The firings of Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce signaled a new direction for a Raiders franchise that has experience little success over the past few seasons.

The Raiders have tried unsuccessfully to find the right coach. They will enter next season with their third head coach in as many years, which is far from ideal for any team, much less one with a subpar roster compared to other teams around the National Football League.

This is where Tom Brady comes in. The end of the season marked Brady's time to step forward and begin impacting the franchise in a more hands-on matter and he reportedly made his presence felt in

"Tom Brady’s presence in Las Vegas shouldn’t be ignored," Breer said. "The smoking gun: Ben Johnson’s candidacy. Johnson’s initial plan was to take three interviews, with the [Chicago] Bears, [Jacksonville] Jacksonville Jaguars and [New England] Patriots. But Brady’s sell job, through intermediaries, made the difference.

Breer detailed what Brady's influence on the organization's day to day operations could look like once a general manager and head coach has been decided upon. While Raiders owner Mark Davis plans on having Brady help with critical decisions, Breer does not believe Brady will interfere with dealings of the daily duties of the team.

"Now, to be clear, I don’t think it’s Brady’s intention to be there day to day—his family being in Florida full-time will likely prevent that for the time being," Breer said. "But I also don’t think he’s going to put his name on anything that he doesn’t feel like he can fully put his name behind. It’s been well established that Brady wasn’t wild about the way things operated with Antonio Pierce, which is one reason why Pierce isn’t there anymore."

The Raiders and Brady appear to be on one accord in regard to the direction of the organization. While the Raiders still have many unknowns at the moment, Brady's influence on Davis and the franchise seems to be a widely known fact.

Getting an interview with Johnson, when he reportedly would not have interviewed with the Raiders if not for Brady, is just the tip of the iceberg of the possibilities for the Raiders with Brady aboard.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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