Reports expand on Tom Brady's role as Raiders minority owner

Former Miami Marlins president, current podcast host and sports business insider David Samson raised eyebrows when he said shortly before the Las Vegas Raiders fired general manager Tom Telesco last week that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady "is running that team right now." 

Multiple reports have since expanded on Samson's take. 

"This is Tom’s show now," an unnamed "person with knowledge of the situation" recently told Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the Raiders. 

It's now known that Brady reached out to North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick either to discuss a potential reunion in Las Vegas or simply for some advice regarding the Raiders' search for a new head coach and new general manager. Bonsignore shared on Sunday that Raiders owner Mark Davis "has immense trust in Brady" and that "Brady’s voice carries a lot of weight" within the organization. Also on Sunday, Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic mentioned that Davis decided to part ways with Telesco "after consulting with Brady and others." 

"We’ve heard very good things about Brady’s efforts in the team’s coaching search," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote for a piece published on Monday. Specifically, Brady’s involvement coupled with the dismissal of Telesco allegedly has Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson at least somewhat interested in becoming Las Vegas' next head coach. 

"Brady’s presence and the clean slate he provided by firing Telesco have made the Raiders job more attractive to potential coaches," Bonsignore added. "...The Raiders plan to be flexible when it comes to their general manager job. They’re willing to consider a package deal if their top coaching candidates have preferred front-office leaders in mind. For instance, Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew could be an appealing partner for Johnson or [Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn]."

It remains to be seen if Brady will continue serving as Fox's lead in-game NFL analyst following Super Bowl LIX. One would think at least some owners wouldn't love Brady having unique access to players and coaches while he is also heavily involved with the Raiders' latest franchise reset, but there hasn't yet been any sign he'll have to pick between the network and Las Vegas before Week 1 of the 2025 season arrives. 

"Being with Fox gives him a chance to do something no other team can do — keep a constant finger on the ever-evolving pulse of the league at large," Florio wrote about Brady. "That’s all the more reason for the other owners to muster the nerve to say to their cool friend, 'Enough.' For now, Brady remains fully intent on doing both. As long as the other teams and the league office let him do it, he will."