An NFL executive has said admitted he’s uncomfortable with the idea of Tom Brady speaking to his team, as the former quarterback continues to be criticized for his simultaneous Raiders and Fox roles.
Brady has been Fox Sports’ top game analyst since last fall, and NFL owners approved him as a partial owner of the Raiders last year as well. However, the NFL imposed strict rules for his broadcasting career, as they barred him from attending production meetings or visiting other teams’ facilities.
Nonetheless, it was striking to fans and media alike when he was seen in the Raiders’ coaching booth with a headset on for their Monday night game against the Chargers.
The image raised fresh questions about his level of involvement with the Raiders, and one NFC executive later explained his problem with Brady serving as a broadcaster.
‘I don’t like the idea of him spending time in our building talking to everyone when we are in game plan mode,’ the executive told Yahoo! Sports. ‘To me, we are trusting him to have a high degree of integrity and discretion when it comes to preparing to call our game versus what those conversations with Chip Kelly are going to be in a few weeks…
‘The headset makes all that worse, but I feel like even if he is giving input during the game, the real damage would’ve already been done during the week.’
Tom Brady was spotted among the coaching staff of the Raiders on Monday night
The image brought up resulted in fresh questions of just how involved he is with the franchise
As stated in the NFL’s ‘Brady Rules’ for the former Patriots star, he cannot actually visit team facilities other than the Raiders’.
However, the league tweaked its restrictions on Brady in the offseason, as league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to the Daily Mail in a statement.
Brady is now allow to attend production meetings in a remote fashion.
‘Of course, as with any production meeting with broadcast teams, it’s up to the club, coach or players to determine what they say in those sessions,’ McCarthy added.
During ESPN’s Monday night broadcast of the Raiders-Chargers game, the network’s Peter Schrager also laid out just how much Brady has apparently been communicating with Las Vegas offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
‘Chip Kelly told us that he talks to Brady two to three times a week,’ Schrager said.
‘They go through film, they go through the game plan, and Brady is a luxury for the coaches. Who else has an owner who’s actually been there and done that.’
Coach Pete Carroll later said that report was ‘not accurate’, but admitted that ‘I talk to Tom, Chip talks to Tom regularly.
‘We have a tremendous asset,’ Carroll said.
Brady will go on to broadcast seven games featuring a Raiders’ regular season opponent this year.
Brady has been Fox’s top game analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt since last season
Raiders coach Pete Carroll (above) confirmed that he and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly speak with Brady
And of the nine sources (three coaches and six executives) surveyed by Yahoo! Sports, five told the outlet they believed there was a ‘real competitive concern’ with Brady’s dual roles.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, McCarthy defended Brady being in the Raiders’ coaching booth.
‘There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,’ McCarthy said.
‘Brady was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a limited partner. All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.’
‘Tom continues to be prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings,’ McCarthy continued.
‘He may attend production meetings remotely but may not attend in person at the team facility or hotel. He may also conduct an interview off site with a player like he did last year a couple times, including for the Super Bowl.’
Brady will call the Cowboys’ matchup at the Bears this weekend.
