Veteran NFL broadcaster addresses restrictions Tom Brady faces as announcer, owner

In August, ESPN's Seth Wickersham revealed that Tom Brady "would be prohibited from publicly criticizing game officials and other clubs" as Fox's lead in-game analyst once Brady became a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

After the Brady-Raiders marriage was officially approved this week, one unnamed "veteran NFL broadcaster" spoke with media insider Richard Deitsch of The Athletic about how those restrictions will impact both the retired quarterback's ability to call games and how viewers enjoy Brady's work as an announcer. 

"You have to at least know you have the freedom to share your opinion about officiating," the broadcaster said. "These are split-second decisions on air. You can’t ponder whether the league will be happy." 

For months, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has said that Brady needs to "pick a lane" and either complete his 10-year, $375M Fox deal or serve as an executive with the Raiders. Some believe it's only a matter of time before Brady picks the Raiders over Fox due to his competitive nature and desire to help Las Vegas become a winning organization. 

Brady is expected to "have a prominent voice" as a minority owner and may even help Raiders owner Mark Davis search for a hoped-to-be franchise quarterback. 

Deitsch said that sports television producers believe people within the NFL community will pay extra attention to games Brady works to see if he either "says something critical about another franchise or official" or "is intentionally avoiding what is in front of him" as the action plays out. For example, will Brady say nothing if a referee gets a decision wrong that can't be overturned via replay? Will viewers notice and/or care? 

For a piece published Thursday, Awful Announcing's Sean Keeley echoed some of Florio's takes. She noted that specific rules only apply "until you’re the kind of person for whom the rules don’t apply." Fair or not, the perception exists that the NFL won't give Brady more than a slap on the wrist if he violates a rule related to what he can and can't do as a Fox employee. 

Perhaps individuals within the league believe Brady won't stay with the network past Super Bowl LIX this coming February and, thus, don't care much about what he does as an announcer/minority owner over a handful of months. For now, outsiders are left wondering what will happen the first time Brady lets a comment slip that should be a no-no due to restrictions that may or may not be enforced.