Tom Brady’s simultaneous serving as the lead NFL on Fox game analyst and as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders has led to some questioning how subjective he can be in the booth.
According to new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, Brady’s impact on the organization’s day-to-day operations is limited to being heard but not seen.
When Brady’s role as a minority owner of the Las Vegas franchise was finalized, the league placed restrictions on what he could do in preparation for broadcasts, such as meeting with coaches and players before games. However, that line seemed fuzzy during the season, especially when the Raiders were looking to hire a new coach, and Brady called games involving candidates for that job.
On Wednesday, Pete Carroll spoke about his relationship with Brady since taking the Raiders head coaching job. He detailed that while he has only seen Brady in the Raiders’ facility one time, he does actively speak with him over the phone regularly.
“How much interaction do you have with Tom Brady?” asked Mike Salk on The Brock & Salk Show on Seattle Sports 710 AM.
“Pretty regular,” said Carroll. “We’re phone buddies. He hasn’t been out here but one time since we’ve been here, but we’ve talked a ton of times. And talking philosophy with Tom, you can imagine what a thrill it is because he’s the all-time competitor. It’s not just how he played, it’s how he lived, and how he sees the world, and how he attacks every opportunity he has. We’re so eye to eye on that, it’s been a blast. It’s really been fun. The challenge of it is to bring that mentality and connect it to our entire franchise.
“When Tom came on board here, it changed my outlook on coming here. I thought that would be one of the great opportunities of all time, to have his presence. His presence is strong. John Spytek and him go back a ton of years and Johnny holds him in the highest regard. So we’re trying to infuse Tom’s mentality, we’re trying to bring it into the organization, because it’s so good and so unique and so one of a kind, I think it helps us to be a one-of-a-kind franchise.”
Carroll’s description of how involved Brady is within the organization doesn’t exactly kill concerns about his conflicting roles. While it sounds like the seven-time Super Bowl champion isn’t hanging out at the facilities, it does sound like he has input on what the team will do this season.