Despite having retired from competition in 2023, Tom Brady still manages to impact the game of football. Thanks to a sweetheart deal that ultimately saw him pay $220 million for a 10% share in the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady’s name is still prominently featured throughout trade discussions and free agency.
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One analyst is now suggesting that only the shoulder pads of the NFL legend were retired, and not his ambitions. Founder of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio has predicted that in the distant future, fans will come to know the New England icon as the majority owner of the Raiders.
“Tom Brady is ultra competitive and he always wants to win and he’s always ambitious… I think one of these days, Tom Brady is going to be the majority owner of the Raiders.
“I think he’s going to find a way to do what Al Davis did all those years ago, where kind of emerged and ended up owning the team when it was all said and done. I think Tom Brady is going to be able to find a way to get the pink slip from Mark Davis,” Florio said on NFL on NBC.
While Florio’s prediction seems more in line with the themes of Game of Thrones or House of Cards, his guest analyst, Myles Simmons, referenced another work of fiction when assessing the influence of Brady over the Raiders’ organization. The multimedia sports journalist certainly seemed to agree with his boss’s suggestion that Brady is still finding new ways to compete.
In hoping for that both Brady and the organization were a bit more forthcoming about their plans for the future, Simmons noted that –
“I would love to hear from Tom Brady at some point, I know we won’t, about what it is he is doing with the Raiders and what his vision for the Raiders is. Right now, it’s just God Father-ish. Right now, he’s just hidden in the shadows and pulling the puppet strings. He seems to at least have a vision for what it should look like.”
Brady has spoken about his purpose behind associating with the Raiders in an interview with Sports Illustrated recently.
“My ownership interests in the Raiders is just much more of a long-term, kind of behind the scenes type role,” Brady said.
“I am there to support the team and leadership and the overall vision of success. The best part for me is I love football so much and the fact that I get to be involved with it for the rest of my life and showcase this great game, not just as a broadcaster which is obviously one way, but in a limited partner role with an organization.
With Brady now working exclusively behind the scenes, Simmons may not get his wish for a tell-all interview, but he may finally get to see the brand of Raiders football that he has always hoped for.
The Las Vegas Raiders do have one perk that no other team can offer to its quarterbacks at the moment, and that’s access to the mentorship of Tom Brady. In reacting to Smith’s admission that he spent an hour on the phone with Brady after first signing with the franchise, Florio gravitated towards the idea that Brady, despite having a majority say in the team’s current business matters, can only do so much for the Raiders at this point in time.
“It is a hell of an opportunity for Geno Smith… Regardless as to how suited he is to be or not be an NFL owner, and whether or not he’s capable of making good personnel decisions, and study the film and put in the time… I mean, there’s only so much that Tom Brady is going to do.”
Nevertheless, Brady will continue to do his best to play his cards accordingly, as both his professional and personal success are on the line with each and every decision that makes with regard to the Las Vegas franchise. However, given his track record and pedigree, perhaps it’s best that Florio abstains from questioning Brady’s dedication to the game of football.
