Report details how Tom Brady impacted Raiders' offseason quarterback moves

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is widely viewed as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, so it makes sense that first-year Raiders general manager John Spytek and new head coach Pete Carroll would want to involve Brady in the club's attempts to improve its offense during the offseason. 

A lengthy piece produced by Dan Pompei of The Athletic that was published on Tuesday detailed how Brady met with Spytek, Carroll and other coaches to discuss "veteran possibilities" and college quarterback prospects following the 2024 season. 

"When we are looking at quarterbacks, we’d have to be fools not to involve him," Spytek said about Brady. "Tom is the foremost expert on quarterback play I’ve ever been around."

It's now no secret that Brady endorsed the Raiders acquiring Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in March. While Las Vegas subsequently handed Smith a two-year contract extension, the club could escape that deal as soon as next offseason. 

"He really respected Geno — the way he can process and throw the football," Spytek said about Brady's reaction to the club anointing Smith its starter for at least the 2025 season. Smith previously played under Carroll from 2019-23 when they were with the Seahawks. 

Even after Smith and the Raiders agreed to the extension, some reporters and analysts predicted that Las Vegas would make Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders the sixth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders already had a relationship with Brady, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion didn't stop the club from selecting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6. The Raiders then passed on Sanders several more times before the Cleveland Browns traded up to take him at pick No. 144.

Later in the draft, Las Vegas took a flier on developmental prospect Cam Miller out of North Dakota State at choice No. 215.

"He liked the way he threw it, his technique, throwing from the ground up and his motion," Spytek said about Brady signing off on the Miller pick. "And he thought he had the potential to improve."

Throughout the 2024 season, fans and analysts offered a variety of takes regarding how much Brady should be involved in the Raiders' day-to-day operations while he also serves as Fox's lead in-game NFL analyst. It appears this spring that other owners are just fine with a broadcaster helping to essentially rebuild one club's quarterback room during an offseason.