Getty Tom Brady with Mark Davis.
The Las Vegas Raiders could be adding a massive name to its ownership group. Owner Mark Davis has struck up a friendship with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady in recent years. This led to the quarterback buying an ownership stake in the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA, which Davis is the owner of. It appears their partnership won’t stop there.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Seth Wickersham, Brady is in “deep discussions to become a limited partner” of the Raiders.
NFL legend Tom Brady is in deep discussions to become a limited partner of the Las Vegas Raiders, sources tell ESPN’s @SethWickersham and me, potentially his second foray into a partnership with Raiders’ owner Mark Davis on a professional sports franchise in less than two months.
Brady would need the approval of 24 NFL owners before he can buy an ownership stake. While the quarterback becoming an owner is interesting enough, it also opens up the possibility of him playing football in Las Vegas. He would need approval from 24 NFL owners to serve a dual role but it might not come to that. Despite many wanting to speculate that he’s getting an ownership stake in the Raiders and will eventually play for them, Schefter and Wickersham are reporting that this is purely a business move and has nothing to do with him playing again.
“Brady retired at age 45 after the 2022 season, his 23rd in the NFL, saying that this time he was done playing ‘for good.’ Although Brady came out of a 41-day retirement after the 2021 season to play a final year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he is not expected to try to play for the Raiders. Even if he wanted to, owners would have to approve his dual role,” Schefter and Wickersham wrote.
Brady to Have ‘Passive’ Role
Brady has a lot of irons on the fire, including a 10-year contract from Fox to be a lead NFL analyst. Schefter and Wickersham are reporting that Fox gave their blessing to Brady in regards to joining Raiders ownership. Now, the report makes it clear that nothing is final and if it does go through, Brady won’t be involved in day-to-day operations.
“Discussions between the two sides have been going on for weeks and could soon be reaching a resolution, yet sources say it’s still an extremely sensitive and fluid negotiation,” Schefter and Wickersham wrote. “Brady’s investment is expected to be ‘passive,’ a source with direct knowledge of the situation says, and he would not have any operational control or authority over the club in business or football matters.”
It appears Brady is simply trying to get his foot in the door with team ownership but doesn’t have plans to exercise any control at this time.
What This Means for Raiders
On the surface, it doesn’t seem like Brady joining the Raiders’ ownership would change much. However, he’d be a great marketing piece for the team. He’d likely be at many of the games depending on when he starts his Fox contract. He’s also a person they could bring into free agent meetings for recruitment purposes.
Brady has had success in everything he has done so adding him to the ownership group certainly can’t hurt. His playing days are likely over so he won’t be helping on the field but he would bring excitement to the franchise. That said, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will likely be looking over his shoulder if things aren’t going well at the beginning of the season.