The Las Vegas Raiders seem to have been taking some steps in the right direction this offseason, but there are some question marks surrounding the franchise. Who exactly is running the football operations?
Is it majority owner Mark Davis? Is it minority owner Tom Brady? Or what about general manager John Spytek? It doesn’t seem to be Davis, who has seemed eager to have somebody worry about the football side of things.
Spytek has been front-facing for all the Raiders’ moves this offseason, so it’s possible that he’s running things. However, Davis has spoken about how he wants Brady to have a big influence on things.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Brady and Davis might not be on the same page.
“Earlier this year, when coach Pete Carroll was fired after one season with the team, the Raiders announced that, “[m]oving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady,'” Florio wrote. “Last June, Brady provided a far more muted assessment of his job with the Raiders: ‘I’m just a limited partner, so Mark’s the boss. And then Pete does his job and [Spytek] does his job and, I think, we trust them to make the right decisions. I’m there as a great sounding board for anything they want to do.’
“So which is it? Close collaborator or sounding board? When asked over the weekend about his role going forward, Brady filibustered his way through a non-answer.”
Brady Looking to Avoid Scrutiny?
Brady has a lot of things on his plate since retiring from football. In addition to being an owner, he also does commentary for FOX Sports.
That’s not to mention that he chooses to live in Florida most of the time, and not in Las Vegas. Florio speculated that this could potentially be an issue if Brady doesn’t get more involved.
“It’s possible that Brady is simply trying to avoid scrutiny for the franchise’s ongoing struggles,” Florio wrote. “It’s also possible that the Raiders envision one role, and that Brady views himself in a different one.
“If it’s the latter, it will eventually become a point of contention. Brady was able to buy his chunk of the team at a below-market value based presumably on the fact that he’ll grab an oar and row. If Brady is simply riding in the boat and periodically answering questions from the folks who are shouting instructions, the captain may begin to have seller’s remorse.”
Winning Cures All
The reason these questions are coming up is that the Raiders were terrible in the first year Brady came on as an owner. The team was three games in 2025.
This offseason has looked very promising. The Raiders have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which they will likely use on a quarterback. Klint Kubiak, who was one of the top candidates in the cycle, is signed on as head coach.
The team was also able to get some big-ticket free agents. If the Raiders get back to winning, nobody will question Brady’s role, but if the losing ways continue, more questions are bound to arise.
Tom Brady & Mark Davis Could Be at Odds: Insider