NFL legend Tom Brady reacted to the decision on Tuesday by NFL team owners to approve his purchase of a minority stake in the Raiders by calling the decision “a blessing,” before continuing that the move gave him great comfort and pride in confirming that he’d “be involved in the greatest league in the world for the rest of my life.”
In a move that had been in the works for at least the past 18 months- and, was most likely the worst-kept secret in sports- a group that, in addition to the surefire future Hall of Famer Brady, also included his former Super Bowl-winning teammate, ex-New England Patriots and Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour; and businessman Tom Wagner (co-founder of Knighthead Capital Management), were approved as minority owners by way of a vote amongst all team owners at their annual meeting.
“I’m incredibly humbled and excited to have been unanimously approved as an owner of the Las Vegas Raiders,” Brady began on a statement posted to his personal verified social media pages.
“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 seven-time Super Bowl winning QB continued.
“The Raiders franchise, and the city of Las Vegas embody these same values, and I’m honored to become part of that story.”
Longtime majority owner Mark Davis, for his part, mostly lauded his new ownership partner, while also throwing in a few competitive barbs towards the iconic quarterback that would have made his late father Al proud, as he quipped that Brady is “somebody that for many years I didn’t like very much, but.. he did admit that it was a fumble,” Davis recounted to reporters gathered in his midst following the conclusion of Tuesday’s league owner’s meetings, likely making a veiled reference to the infamous Tuck Rule controversy that would ultimately send Brady and his Patriots to their first Super Bowl win back in 2002.
“So, those are (definitely) important aspects of the situation,” remarked Davis.
“We’re just really proud to have him as a partner. He’s a competitor. He’s a bright young man. Although Tom can’t play (anymore), I think he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train as well.”
Davis declined to provide details on Brady’s role with the Raiders, out of respect for Brady’s job as a broadcaster for Fox.
Davis said one of the sticking points in the more than 17-month long process to reach the point to where Brady’s group’s bid was ultimately ratified and approved, was indeed, Brady’s dual role in retirement as an extremely well-paid NFL broadcaster and potential team owner. For his part, and to his credit, Davis said he understands the concerns because his father, Al Davis, was infamous in the level to which he was notoriously hell-bent on remaining staunchly protective over all Raiders intel.
“We’re paranoid is what we are in the Raiders,” Davis said. “I do know that the coaches and the quarterbacks do want to talk to him. They’re not going to give him the full story, and they’re not giving you guys the full story, either. When they’re talking, they’re telling you guys what they want the other team to hear.”
While the status of Brady’s bid was still pending, the league actually took the unheard of step of imposing a strict set of limitations, restricting what the five-time Super Bowl MVP was allowed to do in his role as a color analyst with FOX.
Among the restrictions: Brady is not permitted to be in another team’s facility, is not permitted to witness practice and is not permitted to attend broadcast production meetings (either in person or virtually) with the players and coaches in the games he covers for the NFL on FOX.
This move was in response to a segment of NFL ownership, among them Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt, who voiced concerns over Brady’s roles presenting a potential conflict of interests. For his part, league Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t seem too overly concerned as reflected in his statement “Tom’s been abiding by the issues that we raised through the committee voluntarily since he began broadcasting. So that’s all been resolved.”
Meanwhile Seymour, a 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, shared that he was truly honoured by the opportunity that this move represents to a former player, stating “I’m deeply grateful—humbled and honored—to become a NFL owner. This is the mission of a lifetime, and I accept it with both purpose and pride,” on his personal verified account on X- formerly known as Twitter- Seymour then continued that “With great opportunity comes great responsibility. And I pledge to be a worthy steward of our game—and all it makes possible.”
So, there you have it. While this move equates to them only acquiring a minority stake, totalling just under 11%, the pair of Super Bowl winning Pats have traded in their cleats and helmets for cell phones and laptops in the Executive Ownership suites in Sin City, and hope to have a MAJOR impact that will once again revitalize the once-storied Raiders franchise as winners. As long as they remember the all-encompassing motto, “Just Win, Baby.”
