Are Tom Brady’s NFL broadcasting rules a conflict of interest?

Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, reportedly speaks with the team’s offensive coordinator multiple times a week.
Brady’s involvement with the Raiders has raised conflict of interest concerns due to his role as FOX’s lead NFL analyst.
The NFL has adjusted its rules, allowing Brady to join production meetings virtually, though he cannot visit other teams’ facilities as a broadcaster.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll downplayed reports of Brady’s deep involvement in game planning, but confirmed they talk regularly.

During the nightcap of the Week 2 ‘Monday Night Football’ doubleheader on ESPN, which was a Los Angeles Chargers 20-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, ESPN’s Peter Schrager – reporting from the sideline six minutes into the game – said Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly speaks with Tom Brady, a Raiders minority owner, two to three times per week.

‘They go through film. They go through the game plan,’ Schrager reported. ‘And Brady is a luxury for the coaches. Who else has an owner who has been there and done that?’

The ESPN cameras cut to Brady, wearing a suit and tie, sitting in the coaches’ box. Broadcasters Chris Fowler and Dan Orlovsky noted the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s presence, with Orlovsky saying ‘it seems he’s very involved.’

As FOX’s No. 1 game analyst, Brady’s arrangement could present a conflict of interest, as he’s responsible for covering the other 31 NFL teams. Here is what we know about Brady’s involvement with the Raiders and how that affects his broadcasting.

Change to ‘Brady Rules’ means he can be in production meetings

During the 2024 regular season, Brady’s first as a broadcaster after a quasi-gap year between playing and announcing, the three-time MVP was not allowed to attend production meetings, either in person or virtually. He also could not excessively criticize the officials or other teams.

That changed before Super Bowl 59, in which the Philadelphia Eagles throttled the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22; Brady joined the production meetings before that matchup. And he can do so virtually in the 2025 season, except he remains barred from visiting other team’s facilities in his capacity as a broadcaster.

“I think we are going to be responsible and very focused on making sure we have the right rules and guidelines in place, but also allow people that are covering our game and bringing our game to 20 or 25 million people on a weekly basis, are able to do that in the best way and sort of how do we thread that needle?” NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder said on a conference call with reporters Sept. 2.

Schroeder added: “(We will) make sure he has the opportunity to do all his homework that he wants to do to be, you to do what he did last year, which was do a great job covering our games and telling the story of our games week to week for all our fans. So we feel really good about the rules and guidelines and that we have in place for this year. And I think we’ll continue to stay focused about how we look at those and of all of them where it makes sense going forward.”

How involved is Tom Brady with the Raiders?

In October 2024, the league approved a 10% sale – for $220 million – of the Raiders to Brady and his partner, Tom Wagner. (Each owns 5% of the team.)

Before the Super Bowl in February, Brady said on a conference call that ‘my ownership interest in the Raiders is just much more of a long-term, kind of behind-the-scenes type role.’ (Showing up to the coaches’ box in a suit wasn’t exactly subtle.)

‘I’m there to support the team and the leadership and the overall vision for the success,’ he said.

‘I think the best part for me is I love football so much,’ Brady added. ‘And the fact that I get to be involved with it for the rest of my life and to showcase this great game, not just as a broadcaster, which is obviously one way, but in a limited partner role with an organization, it’s something I hope a lot of other players get the opportunity to do.’

The Raiders’ primary owner is Mark Davis, son of the late Al Davis.

What are NFL, media saying about Tom Brady’s conflict of interest?

At his annual Super Bowl news conference, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Brady checked in multiple times throughout last season to make sure he was properly following the rules.

“I think he’s serious that he separates these two and he doesn’t put the league or anyone in a position of conflict,” Goodell said.

Brady will call the Dallas Cowboys-Chicago Bears matchup on Sunday, Sept. 21; the Raiders then host the Bears on Sept. 28. The NFL said he was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a Raiders limited partner.

‘There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,’ NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

‘Tom continues to be prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings,’ the statement said. ‘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 of times, including the Super Bowl. 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.’

ESPN analyst Marcus Spears panned the optics during ‘Get Up’ on Tuesday.

‘It’s abhorrent for me for his job. I love it for his team … this should not happen with him being a commentator of NFL football games,’ Spears said. ‘It actually questions the integrity of the NFL.

‘Now, teams have to be smart and not divulge information on the call.’

Pete Carroll downplays Tom Brady’s Raiders involvement

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was asked about Schrager’s report and said ‘that’s not accurate.’

‘That’s not accurate,’ the Super-Bowl-winning coach repeated. ‘We have conversations. I talk to Tom, Chip talks to Tom, regularly. We have a tremendous asset. We all get along. We respect each other. We just talk about life and football a little bit and whatever it becomes. He has great insight. We’re lucky to have him as an owner.’

Brady isn’t the only owner donning a headset to gain an understanding of what the coaches are saying during games. Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who owns the Indianapolis Colts with her two sisters, has done so for multiple seasons.

How does Tom Brady’s Saudi Arabia flag-football announcement factor into all of this?

It doesn’t, really. But it was all in a busy Monday for TB12.

As part of his work on behalf of Fanatics, Brady on Monday announced his spearheading of a flag football tournament that is set to take place on March 21, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The round-robin competition will feature features a star-studded list of NFL players participating, including: Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rob Gronkowski.

“I couldn’t be more excited to return to the field, get the competitive juices flowing alongside some of the game’s brightest stars and iconic legends, and bring a truly unique global sports event to fans everywhere during Riyadh Season,’ Brady said in a statement.

Brady had teased the announcement during FOX’s NFL pregame show.