Stephen A. Smith has a solution for the NFL’s Tom Brady problem, opposing teams should just tell the Fox broadcaster lies.
The belief that Brady serving as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders while working for Fox presents a conflict of interest had seemingly quieted this season. That is, until Week 2, when Brady was seen in the Raiders coaches’ box with a headset on during Monday Night Football. Further, we learned Brady discusses game plans with Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly several times a week. Cue the conflict of interest concerns.
The NFL has already said Brady did nothing wrong by being in the booth. And the NFL has already lessened restrictions on Brady as a broadcaster this season, allowing the Fox analyst to participate in production meetings despite his stake in the Raiders. So, if the NFL isn’t going to do anything about the apparent conflict of interest, Smith believes teams should just take matters into their own hands.
“You know how to avoid giving him information…don’t tell him! As a matter of fact, lie to him! Give him some false information, mislead him! It shouldn’t be hard to do, it will work against Chip Kelly, everything else has!” Stephen A. Smith on Tom Brady pic.twitter.com/tGRATdDIjh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 17, 2025
“We’re talking about grown men who know he’s the No. 1 announcer on Fox,” Smith said Wednesday on First Take. “When he rolls up on you to get information, particularly if it’s on the schedule that you have to play the Raiders down the road, don’t give him any damn information! They’re not kids! You know how to avoid giving him information.”
“Don’t tell him! As a matter of fact, lie to him!” Smith continued. “Give him some false information, mislead him! It shouldn’t be hard to do, it will work against Chip Kelly, everything else has!”
Smith has it figured out. If NFL teams can’t trust Brady, they should make sure Brady can’t trust them. Maybe teams should start leaving planting playbooks with stickers that say “top secret” around their facility when they know Brady is in the building.
It’s easy to dismiss Brady being a broadcaster and minority owner as no big deal. Until there is some sort of allegation that makes it a big deal. But why risk the potential scandal that would arise if just one player or coach accuses Brady of spreading confidential information?
The Philadelphia Eagles wouldn’t want Jerry Jones sitting in on their production meetings with networks. And as buttoned-up as Brady was during his playing career, it’s hard to imagine him being okay with the Raiders allowing an opposing team’s owner to sit in on a meeting with a player or coach during the season. Sure, teams can take Smith’s advice and just try to mislead Brady, but they shouldn’t have to go down the path of baiting a broadcaster with false playbooks.