Why people are upset Tom Brady was in the Raiders’ coaches box
Tom Brady used to dominate the screen for three hours on Sunday, Monday or Thursday – then he retired. In his post-playing days, Brady has become inescapable on the screen.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion is no stranger to the spotlight. He walked into a broadcasting job with Fox Sports, serving on the top team for NFL games. He was on the call for Super Bowl 59 as an analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt.
He added part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders to his portfolio. On Monday, he announced that he’ll play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March 2026.
On Monday night, he appeared in the Raiders’ coaches box with a headset on.
It’s an interesting look for Brady, especially after the NFL relaxed some of the broadcast restrictions they initially put in place for him.
ESPN’s Peter Schrager reported that Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly consults with Brady at least two to three times a week. The duo gets together to go over film and game plans.
That puts Brady in a weird spot, especially when he’s calling games for teams that will be playing the Raiders at some point. As highlighted by 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen, Brady was on the call for the Washington Commanders’ game in Week 1 and the Raiders will play them in Week 3.
As ESPN’s Field Yates noted, Brady will call the Chicago Bears’ Week 3 contest before the Raiders play them in Week 4.
In Week 2, Brady was behind the mic for the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl 59 rematch – two teams the Raiders will play this season.
While there is no evidence that Brady is getting any additional advantage due to his broadcasting job, it won’t stop fans, players, coaches or media from speculating.
According to ESPN, Brady was prohibited from participating in the following things during the 2024 season:
- Brady will not be permitted in another team’s facility
- He cannot witness team practices
- He cannot attend broadcast production meetings, either in person or virtually
- He cannot publicly criticize game officials
- He cannot publicly criticize other teams
- Brady will be subject to the NFL’s gambling policy
- He will also be subject to the NFL’s anti-tampering policy
In 2025, Brady can attend production meetings with Fox provided they take place virtually or off-site.
His presence in the coaching booth on Monday night raised some red flags for plenty. It remains to be seen what, if anything, comes out of that new development.
