Tom Brady addresses involvement with Raiders’ decisions: ‘I’m there as a great sounding board’

Last year, as he embarked on his first season as a color analyst for FOX, Tom Brady officially became a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Afterward, restrictions went into place for games he broadcast and rumors swirled about the legendary quarterback’s involvement in team decisions.

Speaking with Raiders.com’s Paul Gutierrez this week, Brady made it clear Mark Davis is the one in charge. He also pointed out the trust between ownership and the on-field leadership in new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll.

When questions come up, though, Brady said he’s there to be a “sounding board” when necessary. In the meantime, Davis has the ultimate final say as principal owner.

“Well, I’m just a limited partner, so Mark’s the boss,” Brady said. “And then Pete does his job and Spy does his job and, I think, we trust them to make the right decisions. I’m there as a great sounding board for anything they want to do.”

Rumors about Brady’s impact on the Raiders swirled throughout the offseason. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported he met with Matthew Stafford at a ski resort after the Los Angeles Rams gave the quarterback permission to gauge trade interest. As the Raiders embarked on a coaching search, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared how Brady may have impacted the franchise’s pursuit of Ben Johnson before he took the Chicago Bears job.

But since Spytek and Carroll came on board, Brady saw the collaboration begin as they put the team together. Carroll made a splash at offensive coordinator by bringing in Chip Kelly, fresh off a national championship at Ohio State. The Raiders then made a huge move at quarterback this offseason, trading for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith – reuniting him with Carroll. Las Vegas also notably took Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty in this year’s NFL Draft.

Competing in a loaded AFC West, Tom Brady said the goal is to keep pace and stay competitive. The common goal, he said, is to win games.

“They’ve worked together very well, and there’s a lot of decisions that are made,” Brady said. “Winning games in September starts with what happens in February, March and April, when no one’s really watching. They’ve been hard at work.

“And our goal is to, you know, win a lot of football games. You’ve got to work hard at it, and it’s all earned and we’ve got a tough division. There’s a lot of good opponents we face. But it’s going to be up to the guys and their daily commitment to doing the right things.”