NFL says Tom Brady may sit in Raiders coaches’ box as minority owner

The NFL on Tuesday explained why Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Fox’s lead NFL analyst, was permitted to sit in the Raiders’ coaches’ box and wear a headset during Monday night’s game.

ESPN cameras showed Brady in the booth during the Raiders’ 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, appearing to wear a headset with a laptop in front of him. In a statement reported by NFL Network, the league said "there are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game. Brady was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a limited partner." The statement added, "All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System."

The NFL clarified additional limits tied to Brady’s ownership status. "Tom continues to be prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings," the statement said. "He may attend production meetings remotely but may not attend in person at the team facility or hotel. He may also conduct an interview off site with a player like he did last year a couple times, including for the Super Bowl. Of course, as with any production meeting with broadcast teams, it’s up to the club, coach or players to determine what they say in those sessions."

Brady joined the Raiders ownership group in October after the league approved his minority bid. He holds five percent of the group’s 10 percent ownership stake in the franchise. NFL protocols last season had restricted his in-person participation in some club activities because of the combination of his ownership role and his work as a broadcaster; the league said it has adjusted those restrictions for the current season while maintaining the prohibition on attending team practices and in-person production meetings at team facilities.

The ESPN broadcast included commentary that Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly told the network he speaks with Brady "two or three times a week," a claim Raiders coach Pete Carroll later questioned when asked whether Brady "meets" with Kelly several times weekly. The league’s statement emphasizes that any communications or production involvement must conform to league equipment rules and the limits placed on owners who also work in league media.

Brady’s presence at the Raiders’ home opener came after he spent Sunday in Missouri calling Fox’s telecast of the Philadelphia-Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs rematch, a 20-17 Eagles win. The scheduling allowed him to be in Las Vegas for Monday night’s game; the league noted that broadcast duties often constrain Brady’s ability to attend Raiders games in person.

Brady is scheduled to return to the broadcast booth Sunday in Chicago, where Fox will televise the Chicago Bears against the Dallas Cowboys. The NFL said it will continue to apply and enforce the established limits on owners who are active members of broadcast teams while permitting in-booth attendance under the ownership rules described in its statement.