During the Las Vegas Raiders’ search for a new head coach and general manager, much attention centered on Tom Brady’s perceived influence within the organization. As an NFL on Fox broadcaster and a minority owner, his potential conflict of interest was glaringly evident during the NFC Divisional Round. Brady notably avoided mentioning Ben Johnson, a hot candidate for the Raiders’ head coaching job, when the Washington Commanders defeated the Detroit Lions 45-31. Johnson, who was the Lions’ offensive coordinator at the time, has since been hired as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears.
However, Brady’s involvement remains controversial. The Raiders have appointed John Spytek, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive associated with Brady, as their general manager, along with Pete Carroll as their new head coach. Owner Mark Davis essentially confirmed Brady’s significant sway over team decisions, with Dianna Russini reinforcing suspicions that Brady is subtly pulling the strings in Las Vegas. “Let’s just start with making it really clear that Tom Brady is running everything in Vegas,” Russini stated on The Ringer’s The Ryen Russillo Podcast. “It’s all Tom Brady. I think there’s some rumors, some chatter — I’m telling you, it’s all Tom Brady there. His own TB12 programs are being implemented, with Alex Guerrero working alongside some of the players.” She emphasized that Brady is attempting to change the Raiders and exert a considerable influence over them.
“I’m sure we can debate whether that’s a good thing,” she remarked. “My instinct is, yeah, the guy knows how to win, obviously. Why not listen to him? I’d rather have Tom Brady calling the shots than Mark Davis — no disrespect to Mark. Tom has a thought, an idea; he understands what it takes.”
The obvious conflict of interest revolving around Brady’s dual roles is not a new issue. Many feel it’s only a matter of time before he’s forced to choose one path over the other, and which side he’d opt for seems clear. For now, however, Brady has made it clear — through himself and his agent — that he intends to fulfill his $375 million contract with Fox while simultaneously overseeing his efforts to revitalize the Raiders. Whether this balancing act can persist without further controversy remains uncertain, but for now, the situation remains precarious, with Brady’s influence lingering over the Raiders despite any public attempts to downplay it.
“That being said, he’s not working with much,” Russini added. “We know they don’t have a quarterback, and their roster isn’t great. Outside of Maxx Crosby, [Brock Bowers]… The pitch to Ben Johnson had to be layered in Bradyisms, and he needed to feel like, ‘We’re going to do this the right way, and I’m going to do this with you. We’re in lockstep. We’re a team.’ It wasn’t about him being the owner and Johnson being the coach; I think that was appealing to Ben Johnson, who has been cautious about stepping into a head coaching role.” She concluded, “I understand why Brady pursued him. He found Johnson to be a brilliant coach, and it was genuine.” But ultimately, Johnson required a quarterback — and Brady alone wasn’t enough.
Brady’s endeavor to juggle both roles seems to satisfy both the league and Fox Sports, with the latter dismissing any “ridiculous” claims of a conflict as mere baseless sports media filler.
