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NFL Owner Has a Problem With Tom Brady Amid Raiders Controversy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 3:51 PM ET

Tom Brady's possible conflict of interest has been widely covered across all NFL media for the past week. Brady, who is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, quarterback in league history, joined Fox as its lead analyst on NFL Sundays last season. He also purchased a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, making him a minority owner of the franchise.

On "Monday Night Football," Brady was seen wearing a headset in the coaches' booth of the Raiders in their game against the Los Angeles Chargers. This caused an uproar around the league, calling out Brady for having an unfair advantage.

On Saturday, The Athletic's Diana Russini added an interesting angle to the Brady controversy.

"This isn’t just superficial or surface-level involvement," Russini wrote. "Brady is talking with Raiders coaches and players during the week — and not small talk, either. He keeps in close touch with general manager John Spytek, and even has his longtime trainer and business partner Alex Guerrero is on staff as 'wellness coordinator,' overseeing the training staff and strength and conditioning. Brady gets direct information and updates about the roster."

Russini claims that Brady is unlike any other stakeholder, as he is much more involved in the game-planning and roster construction than other owners. She said that Brady is acting in more of a president of football operations role than a minority owner.

"One NFL owner explained," Russini continued. "'They are getting an unfair advantage whether they capitalize on it or not. You don’t think he’s getting info from the crew that is allowed at practice? Of course he is.'"

As this anonymous owner said, he or she believes that Brady's involvement as both a media member and a minority stakeholder gives the Raiders an advantage that other teams do not have.

The Raiders are currently 1-1 this season and will face off against the Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. ET on Fox on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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