Tom Brady received unexpected acclaim during the NFL playoffs’ divisional round for his impressive performance on Fox’s broadcast of the Commanders-Lions game, showcasing perhaps his best booth work of the season. However, despite the praise, concerns linger regarding the apparent conflict of interest posed by his presence in the booth due to his 10 percent ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, which was approved last October. Although the Raiders opted not to hire Detroit coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach, many in the NFL still view Brady’s role as problematic.
Mike Florio, an NBC Sports insider, expressed this sentiment on a recent episode of SI Media with Jimmy Traina, asserting that his employer would never allow a situation where Brady could commentate while owning a team. “I’ve been with NBC for 15 years now. There is no way in hell NBC would give Tom Brady a microphone when he owns a piece of a team,” Florio stated. “They would never do it. They would say, ‘Tom you’ve gotta pick a lane. You cannot do this.’ Fox should have done that, which explains why, if they’re willing to do it, then they’ll just brush it under the rug, do a word salad, check the box handling of it.”
Florio highlighted ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit as an example, noting that he refrains from making predictions on College GameDay for the games he broadcasts. He also raised concerns over how Fox would manage potential scenarios, such as if the Raiders made it to the Super Bowl during Brady’s 10-year deal at Fox. Even if such a scenario seems far-fetched now, Brady’s employment suggests that Fox is comfortable with him calling any game at any level.
“Fans are always looking for a, ‘you’re against my team.’ Hell, he owns 10 percent of the Raiders!” Florio pointed out, emphasizing that this ownership complicates how fans assess his objectivity. He clarified that he wasn’t advocating for Brady’s dismissal but rather that Fox should “disclose” these conflicts more transparently moving forward.
Despite the need for transparency, Florio believes that if the Raiders improve, the backlash against this setup might intensify, compelling the NFL to take action. “Here’s where the league will sour on it,” he explained. “When they realize that Brady having this ability as an owner to constantly have his finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving NFL—going into these stadiums, talking to these people—might create a dilemma if the Raiders become a team that others need to be concerned about.”
While it’s difficult to envision any network passing up the opportunity to include Tom Brady in their coverage, Florio remains adamant about NBC’s integrity as discussions about the legendary quarterback evolve.
