There is no shortage of intrigue in Tom Brady’s life as of late.
Since being accepted as minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady’s ties with the team while working as a broadcaster for Fox Sports has posed some questions.
Fox and the NFL have placed restrictions on what Brady can and cannot do as a broadcaster, in order to avoid him giving the Raiders a competitive advantage.
However, he now faces his greatest challenge yet, in regards to unbiased reporting.
On Saturday, Brady and broadcast partner Kevin Burkhardt are scheduled to broadcast the Divisional Round matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders.
This is a significant development, as both Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have interviewed for the Raiders’ coaching vacancy. Brady, in particular, was responsible for convincing Johnson to interview in the first place.
Reports have now begun to circulate that Johnson is gaining momentum in the Raiders’ coaching search.
A lot of momentum building for Ben Johnson & @Raiders.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) January 15, 2025
Due to Brady’s connections with Johnson and the Raiders, many are concerned that he will not be a neutral observer or commentator during the game.
“The audience needs to know about the Raiders’ interest in Johnson and Glenn so that Brady’s commentary regarding the performance of the Detroit offense and defense can be evaluated through that lens,” said Mike Florio of NBC Sports. “If/when he excessively praises Johnson and/or Glenn — or if/when Brady fails to adequately criticize them — the audience can factor his potential interest in hiring either of them while absorbing his words.”
While the problems regarding Brady serving as a broadcaster and minority owner of an NFL team simultaneously have been well-documented, some are convinced that no instance will that issue be more prevalent than this game.
Most of the issues have stemmed from whether Brady will be willing to offer fair criticism of the Lions’ offense, but others have raised questions on how much access he will have to Detroit’s offensive coordinator.
Tom Brady will get to spend some time around Ben Johnson next weekend https://t.co/CCtuIgQFgx
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 13, 2025
Whether Brady’s status with the Raiders and current pursuit of Johnson will cloud his judgment is unclear, but fans will almost certainly accuse the future Hall of Famer for not being unbiased if he props up Johnson more than usual.
Tom Brady, Raiders reportedly ‘enamored’ with head coaching candidate
