NFL Exec Says Tom Brady ‘Gets Special Treatment’ amid Raiders Controversy, Rumors

While some downplayed any competitive edge Tom Brady might gain from the access he receives as a Fox announcer, at least one executive believes the NFL is approaching his situation differently than it would another broadcaster.

“The league doesn’t do things in rare cases when they get positive PR,” the exec said to The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Brady’s a positive PR element. They like him doing the games. They like everything he does. So, he gets special treatment.”

An anonymous coach posited their peers won’t speak out even if they’re wary about any possible conflicts of interest with Brady, who’s a minority owner for the Las Vegas Raiders.

“There’s a reason they’re not blowing a gasket,” the coach said. “It’s going to have to be the owners that do it. The owners know that Brady calling the games is a good thing.”

Sando also pointed out how Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton brushed aside any Brady-related issues at the same time he was being confirmed for a flag football event in Saudi Arabia that includes the legendary QB.

“Of course he’s not going to say anything negative about him!” the coach said when referring to Payton.

There are countless minority investors in NFL teams, and the vast majority of them have little to no involvement with the running of the team. For them, having a limited stake is a status symbol or pure financial play.

Brady is different. The Monday Night Football cameras spotted him in the Raiders’ coaching booth and wearing a headset during Las Vegas’ 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He provided some limited input on personnel moves over the offseason.

It’s not like NFL coaches are divulging the equivalent of state secrets during their production meetings with announcers prior to a game. Still, this is a group of professionals who cover their mouths when they’re communicating on the sideline, lest the opposition have a paid team of lip readers deciphering their calls.

At the very least, Brady’s dual owner/announcer duties make for some odd optics.