Tom Brady is no stranger to doing things that have never been done before, but his newest endeavor may ruffle some feathers around the NFL.
Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, a business agreement that stems from a friendship with the team's majority owner, Mark Davis. Retired players and wealthy athlete pursuing ownership is nothing new, but Brady's other job puts him in uncharted territory.
Brady also works for Fox Sports as an NFL analyst, and that job requires him to meet with teams and head coaches before calling their games. Some have suggested that this presents a conflict of interest, but one NFL coach says that won't be a problem with his team.
Tom Brady: Owner And Analyst?
Brady's Raiders are set to play the Chicago Bears in two weeks.
This upcoming week, Brady will be on the call for the Bears' game against the Dallas Cowboys for Fox. Bears coach Ben Johnson says he's aware of how things may appear, but he made it clear that his discussions with Brady would yield no competitive advantage.
"I'm really not worried about it," Johnson said ahead of meeting with Brady and the Fox production team for the Cowboys game.
"I mean, we change week to week in terms of what we do. Schematically, he's going to be able to turn on the tape and see what everyone else in the world is seeing right now."
Johnson said that he wouldn't reveal any "trade secrets" to Brady during the production meeting, and reiterated that he isn't worried about tipping the Raiders off to his game plan.
Brady raised eyebrows on Monday night when ESPN cameras noticed him in the Las Vegas coaching booth. The legendary quarterback wore a headset while in the booth, something that the NFL allows.
What Is Brady Allowed To Do As An Owner?
"There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches' booth or wearing a headset during a game," said NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy, according to ESPN.
"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."
Brady's role as a team owner does restrict him from appearing at team facilities for production meetings or practices, but if those events are conducted at neutral locations, it appears he's allowed to attend.
Johnson added that Brady's unique role won't change anything about how he approaches production meetings - owner or not.
"Man, I've been careful with everything I've said since the season started," said the first-year head coach.
"I've been in pure coachspeak mode since this season has started. So to me, it's just business as usual. I'm just fine. I like Tom, and we have a really good relationship."
The Bears will take on the Cowboys in Chicago on Sunday, then they'll travel to Las Vegas for a meeting with the Raiders on September 28.
This story was originally reported by Men's Journal on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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