Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has made it clear: it would be naive to think Tom Brady, minority owner of the Raiders and lead broadcaster for Fox, isn’t influencing the Silver and Black behind the scenes.
Antonio Pierce Calls Out “Foolish” Assumptions on Tom Brady’s Role with the Raiders
GettyFormer Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
Pierce, who guided the team through the 2024 season during Brady’s first year as an official part-owner, spoke candidly about the unprecedented dynamic during a recent interview with Adam Schein on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio.
“This is unprecedented, what we’re seeing,” Pierce explained. “Because you’re not dealing with just a normal person. Tom Brady is the elite of the elite, one of the greatest players in the game. It’s not hard for him to watch a few things on a Friday practice or hear things in a production meeting and be like, ‘Hmm,’ and have tidbits. And you’d be foolish enough to think that he’s not gonna share that with the Raiders because we had those conversations about certain things.
Those remarks provide a rare window into how Brady’s dual role as a broadcaster and minority owner can blur the lines. While some around the league have downplayed this, Pierce wasn’t shy about calling out the elephant in the room.
“Everybody’s gonna give you the political answer and say, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,'” he continued. “I’m calling BS on that. You know he sees the game, you know he understands the game. He has obviously an interest in the Raiders.
Pierce’s comments strike a nerve because they confirm what many have quietly speculated: Brady’s insights and information-sharing, intentional or not, can provide the Raiders with advantages that no other team enjoys.
Brady’s Influence: From Ownership Box to Raiders’ Future
When Brady’s ownership stake was approved back in October of 2024, it was too late to rescue a struggling Raiders season. Pierce, who was relieved of his duties at the end of the year, noted that Brady was barely involved at the time.
But things have changed drastically in 2025.
“He was a training camp,” Pierce said. “He’s been around, he was at OTAs, he was in the draft meetings. He’s been around a lot more than he was last year with me. Our conversations were more about how we fix the Raiders. I think this year, you know, he built that team. I mean, those are a lot of his calls, right? I think even starting with [firing] me, you know, I think that was one of his calls.”
Even if Pierce is salty about the whole situation, he appears to tell the truth.
It’s also rare to hear a former head coach openly credit (or, in Pierce’s case, partly blame) an owner for shaping team decisions so directly. And with Brady caught on camera in the coaches’ box during a recent broadcast — headset, tablet, and all — questions about his involvement have only intensified.
Ultimately, the controversy will only escalate if the Raiders start winning big. As Pro Football Talk noted, rival teams won’t raise their concerns until Las Vegas becomes a consistent contender, at which point Brady’s dual roles could be painted as a league-threatening issue.
Antonio Pierce on Tom Brady: ‘Foolish’ to Think He Won’t Aid Raiders