Tom Brady defends dual role as Raiders owner and Fox broadcaster, calls critics 'paranoid and distrustful'

Tom Brady on Friday defended his status as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and as a FOX Sports color commentator, saying critics who see a conflict are "paranoid and distrustful." In Brady's weekly Do Your Job newsletter, he argued that the intersection of his roles is not a conflict but a source of moral duty to the sport that launched his career. "I love football. At its core, it is a game of principle," he wrote, adding that the path he has traveled carries a duty "to grow, evolve and improve the game that has given me everything." He framed the dual roles as complementary rather than controversial, saying the work in both capacities can reinforce standards he believes the league should uphold.

The debate about the intersection intensified after Week 2's Monday Night Football broadcast, when Brady appeared in a Raiders booth via headset during the Raiders' game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The NFL followed with a statement that Brady is "prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings." He, however, is allowed to sit in the coaches' booth for games, according to league rules. The restrictions were originally imposed when Brady began working as a FOX color commentator while holding Raiders ownership; the league approved the Raiders' ownership in October 2024. Brady and his broadcast partner, Kevin Burkhardt, will be in the booth for Week 4's Ravens–Chiefs game.

Since Brady joined FOX, the NFL limited his access to team operations, but the league has since softened some restrictions. A core allowance remains that he can participate in production meetings, though remotely, with day-to-day contact with coaches and players still restricted to off-site access during the week. The league's approach aims to balance Brady's broadcasting duties with his status as a Raiders owner while preventing direct involvement in practice facilities. In his newsletter, Brady characterized that balance as a duty to demonstrate "the right way" for how teams should operate and how people should relate to the game.

Brady tied his dual roles to a larger ethical mission. "If I can bring my knowledge and experience to bear inside the Raiders organization to ensure there's one more team that does things the right way, and then I can apply it in the booth so millions of people know and enjoy what the right way looks like, then I will have lived up to the expectations I have for myself, and I will have done so in service of a much greater duty," he wrote. He added that in uncertain and untrusting times, it is easy to focus on a person’s passions intersecting with their profession and assume a conflict. "When you live through uncertain and untrusting times like we are today, it is very easy to watch a person’s passions and profession intersect, and to believe you’re looking at some sort of dilemma. Because when you’re blinded by distrust, it’s hard to see anything other than self-interest." He urged readers to look beyond optics and consider the broader impact on the league, the teams, and the fan experience.

Brady will be in the Week 4 broadcast booth for the Ravens–Chiefs matchup, a game that will test how the two roles interact with public perception. The league has kept the framework that allows Brady to participate in production meetings remotely while barring him from attending team practices during the week, a stance that Brady has described as part of a broader duty to the sport. The arrangement is among the most visible examples of the ongoing tension in the NFL between ownership, media, and on-field competition as the league navigates the evolving media landscape.

Brady and Burkhardt will again share the broadcast duties for Week 4's Ravens–Chiefs game, a pairing that has drawn considerable attention since Brady joined FOX and simultaneously became a Raiders owner. Supporters say the dual perspective could lift standards across the league, while critics argue that access to competing organizations could create real or perceived conflicts of interest. The NFL says its policies exist to preserve fairness while allowing high-profile figures to contribute in multiple capacities, and Brady says his goal is to do right by the game by upholding those standards.

As the season progresses, Brady’s continued involvement in both domains will likely remain a focal point for fans, analysts, and league officials. The NFL has not signaled a shift away from its current policy, but the ongoing dialogue about how owners can participate in broadcasting and how broadcasters can engage with teams during the week will continue to shape the conversation around Brady’s unique portfolio.