Tom Brady approved to buy partial stake in Las Vegas Raiders; will have some restrictions

ATLANTA — Tom Brady is returning to the NFL. He won’t be on the field, or just in the broadcast booth. He will be a team owner.

The league’s owners have approved the former quarterback turned broadcaster to buy a partial stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, The Associated Press reported.

Brady and his partner now own 10% of the Raiders. Brady officially owns 5%, the NFL said. The deal was more than a year in the making, with it first reported in May 2023.

The deal’s approval was unanimous.

Since Brady started talks to buy a portion of the team, the NFL had restricted him in his role as a broadcaster, not allowing him in weekly production meetings with the players and coaches from the games he covered. He cannot watch practice or be in another team’s facility. The rules will continue now that the deal was approved.

Brady signed a 10-year deal with Fox to be part of the broadcasting team with Kevin Burkhardt. He signed the deal in 2022 when he retired from playing, but didn’t start announcing games until this season.

“I think a lot of owners around the league felt that was a potential conflict,” Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said, according to ESPN. “It’s hard to know whether it will be an actual conflict, but it can be a potential conflict or perceived conflict.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “Tom’s been abiding by the issues that we raised through the committee voluntarily since he began broadcasting. So that’s all been resolved.”

Brady released a statement on X after the vote which occurred in Atlanta during the league’s fall meetings, saying, “Throughout my NFL career, I’ve learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The Raiders franchise, and the city of Las Vegas embody these same values, and I’m honored to become part of that story.

“Football has been part of my entire life growing up in the Bay Area and in so many ways, my football life and journey has come full circle. I love the sport, I love my teammates, coaches, and the fans in every organization I’ve been part of. Sports brings us together in a way nothing else can. I grew up on the field, and it’s a blessing to know I’ll be involved in the greatest league in the world for the rest of my life.”

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