When the NFL owners approved Tom Brady’s bid to become a minority stake owner of the Raiders in October, there was a lot of curiosity around what his involvement with the organization was going to look like.
Was the legendary quarterback going to take a passive role with the team or would his approach be more hands on?
Safe to say, since the 2024 season ended, it’s hasn’t been hard to find Brady’s fingerprints all over the organization.
From recruiting head coaches to hiring his friend John Spytek to be the team’s next GM, Brady has certainly been active on the football side of operations in Las Vegas.
But according to Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, Brady hasn’t been a regular on the building. In fact, he hasn’t been around much at all.
“We’re phone buddies,” Carroll said on Brock & Salk about his involvement with Brady.
“He hasn’t been out here but one time since we’ve been here, but we’ve talked a ton of times, and talking philosophy with Tom, you can imagine what a thrill it is because he’s the all-time competitor.”
“It’s not just how he played, it’s how he lived, and how he sees the world, and how he attacks every opportunity he has. We’re so eye to eye on that it’s been a blast. It’s really been fun. The challenge of it is to bring that mentality and connect it to our entire franchise.”
As for the reason Brady hasn’t been in Las Vegas a lot during this pivotal offseason, Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer believes Brady wants to empire the GM and head coach the Raiders hired in January.
“As I understand it, Brady’s cognizant of how his mere presence can take the oxygen out of whatever room he’s in,” Breer reported this week.
“So to empower Carroll and GM John Spytek, whom Brady was with in Tampa, he’s tried to make himself physically scarce, staying back in South Florida where he and two of his three children reside.”
Brady was not with the Raiders during the draft, but the team reportedly leaned on him throughout the process of scouting the rookie quarterbacks in this year’s draft.
Brady, though, has denied being a part of the Raiders decision to pass on Shedeur Sanders.
“I wasn’t a part of any evaluation process,” Brady said earlier this month.
“I actually texted Shedeur because I know him very well and I said ‘Dude, whatever happens, wherever you go, that’s your first day. Day 2 matters more than the draft. I was [pick] 199. Who could speak on it better than me? Use that as motivation. You’re going to get your chances. Go take advantage of them.’”
Honesty is best policy. Very well said Tom
He doesn’t need to be there to make all the decisions. He’s there to make sure they don’t make bad ones.