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Raiders legend following in Tom Brady’s footsteps with latest decision

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated May 16, 2025 10:55 AM ET

Charles Woodson and Tom Brady have plenty in common, going back to their playing days.

Woodson and Brady went from the University of Michigan to become two of the all-time great players in the NFL. When Brady is enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he will have a gold jacket and a bust in Canton, Ohio, just like Woodson does. Now, Brady owns a minority ownership stake with the Las Vegas Raiders, the organization where Woodson cut his teeth when they were still located in Oakland.

Now, Woodson is set to join Brady in even more rarified air.

Woodson’s latest move comes as a surprise to many around the NFL world.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Woodson is set to purchase a 0.1 percent ownership stake in the Cleveland Browns. With the Browns worth approximately $5 billion, Woodson will pay the majority-owning Haslam family $5 million.

Hall of Famer Charles Woodson is set to purchase a 0.1% stake in the Browns from the Haslam family.

The sale is contingent upon Woodson agreeing to similar broadcasting restrictions to Raiders owner Tom Brady and removing his name, image and likeness from businesses he is… pic.twitter.com/pNjwavk6ah

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) May 15, 2025

The deal does come with a fair share of caveats, however.

Similar to Brady, Woodson must accept the same broadcasting restrictions due to his role as an analyst on Fox Sports’ NFL kickoff programming. Woodson must also remove his name, image and likeness from all of the other products he endorses. Once he agrees to that, the deal can proceed without any further hiccups.

Woodson is a native of Fremont, Ohio, which is less than a hundred miles away from Cleveland, making this somewhat of a homecoming for the Hall of Fame cornerback.

What will be interesting is how Woodson’s impact on the Browns compares to Brady’s with the Raiders. With a more miniscule ownership stake than Brady’s five percent, Woodson will likely not have anywhere near the influence of his fellow former Wolverine. However, the Browns would also be foolish not to tap into a resource with the leadership and football knowledge that Woodson has, much like the Raiders have been willing to do with Brady repeatedly this offseason.

Woodson is ready to make an impact on the game beyond the field, and he and Brady are blazing a trail for other former athletes to join the fold.

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

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