Tom Brady continues to run into complications since the news he was going to buy an ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The NFL had to institute a number of new rules due to him, including owners not being allowed to play for their team and limiting his access for his work as a FOX Sports broadcaster.
The league might need to put in even more rules now with another complication. Brady was given an awards vote by the Associated Press but many don’t think that’s particularly fair. He clearly has a vested interest in seeing the Raiders have success so other teams may have an issue with him being allowed to vote on major awards.
While many think that Brady should have his vote stripped, the Associate Press is standing behind him.
“As a credentialed media member who covers the NFL regularly, Tom Brady meets the requirement to vote for the AP NFL awards,” AP media relations manager Nicole Meir told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “We are confident that the integrity of the voting process will be respected by all voters.”
Brady is still so new in the role that it’s difficult to know what he’ll do. That said, his vote might hurt the Raiders more than help them as he may vote against the team so that he appears unbiased.
Raiders Who Could Be Up for NFL Honors
Luckily for Brady, he may not have to risk controversy too much this awards cycle. The Raiders have been one of the worst teams in the NFL and won’t have many players in the awards discussion.
However, there are a couple of players who could be looking at NFL honors. Tight end Brock Bowers is on track to have the greatest season for a rookie tight end ever. He leads all tight ends in receptions and receiving yards this season and is top-10 in the league as a whole in both categories. He’s going to be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
It appears Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is pulling away with the award but Bowers should still receive some votes. The only other Raiders who could be looking at postseason honors is punter A.J. Cole. He’s already been named First-Team All-Pro twice, including last season, and is having another very good season. Cole and Bowers are the only two players who will likely get votes for any NFL honors.
Tom Brady to Have Big Role With Raiders
There are plenty of NFL minority owners who are just investors and don’t have much of a say over the football team. That won’t be Brady. Many expect him to be heavily involved in football operations for Las Vegas.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini gave some insight into the matter.
“Recently, I had a conversation with one of Tom Brady’s former teammates about Brady’s new role as a minority owner with the Las Vegas Raiders,” Russini wrote in a Dec. 28 column. “He summed it up by saying: ‘Has Tom ever done anything on a small scale?’
“It’s hard to argue with that. Brady has never been one to take a backseat or approach anything half-heartedly. Relentless attention to detail and a drive for excellence have defined his career, and it’s safe to say those traits will carry over to his role with the Raiders.”
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Tom Brady Under Fire Due to Raiders Ownership Again