Seth Wickersham and Adam Schefter May 12, 2023 08:00 ET4 minutes read
How serious is the talk of Tom Brady coming out of retirement?
Dianna Russini and Domonique Foxworth react to Tom Brady answering questions about his retirement
NFL legend Tom Brady is in intense talks about becoming a limited partner of the Las Vegas Raiders, sources told ESPN – potentially his second foray into partnering with Raiders owner Mark Davis for a professional sports franchise in less than two months.
Talks between the two sides have been going on for weeks and could soon lead to a solution. However, sources say it is still an extremely delicate and fluid negotiation. Brady’s investment is expected to be “passive”, says a source with direct knowledge of the situation, and he would have no operational control or authority over the club on business or football matters.
The NFL declined to comment. A Raiders spokesman did not return calls or texts. Brady’s agent Don Yee declined to comment.
In late March, Brady announced that he had acquired an interest in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, a team also primarily owned by Davis.
Even if Brady and Davis can agree on the terms, at least 24 current team owners would need to review and approve Brady’s limited partnership, as do all minority and majority owners.
It is believed Brady’s star power and business acumen in a city he frequents will help the club fulfill its financial potential in the market it has held since moving from Oakland in 2020 – an ironic recent chapter for the man who helped hand the Raiders one of the most painful defeats in franchise history during tuck rule play.
It’s believed Brady’s 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox, set to begin in 2024, would be unaffected by an investment in the Raiders. A source told ESPN that Fox “blessed” the agreement. Sources said the league’s guidelines on overlapping team ownership and media employment only come into play when the owner holds a position of authority in the media company and could impact broadcast rights negotiations. Fox and the NFL agreed to an 11-year rights deal in 2021.
This isn’t the first time the seven-time Super Bowl champion has expressed interest in a minority stake in an NFL franchise. Brady reportedly had discussions with the Miami Dolphins in 2021 and 2022 about becoming a limited partner. A six-month NFL investigation found that Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross and vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal — a friend of Brady’s — had violated the anti-tampering policy in discussions with Brady, and the team became the first Round removed pick in last month’s draft, among other disciplinary actions.
Brady retired at age 45 after the 2022 season, his 23rd in the NFL, and said that this time he stopped playing “forever.” Although Brady came out of his 41-day retirement following the 2021 season to play a final year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he is not expected to attempt to play for the Raiders. Even if he wanted to, the owners would have to agree to his dual role.
In recent years, the Raiders have sought to replicate some of the success that Brady inspired in New England by bringing on former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach, former Patriots manager Dave Ziegler as general manager and former Patriots players such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Chandler Jones, Brandon Bolden, Jakobi Meyers and Phillip Dorsett.
But none would draw the attention Brady might have as he would become the highest profile former NFL player to become a co-owner of an NFL franchise.