The era of former quarterbacks becoming major figures dictating the NFL landscape is fully upon us. Tom Brady , who's dipped his toes into various ventures since ending his playing career, has become a major part of the league once again.
One of the premier broadcasters for Fox Sports, he's also taken on a minority ownership role with the Las Vegas Raiders . The two jobs have caused some obvious friction, but one insider isn't convinced that he can have a major impact as an owner.
The deal officially went through in October 2024 when Brady was given a 5% ownership stake in the Raiders. Since then, he's been heavily involved with the way things are being run in the organization.
Unfortunately, it has gotten off to a rocky start.
Last season, as they brought in Geno Smith to be their quarterback and hired Pete Carroll as the head coach, the season quickly went sideways.
Finishing with the worst record in the NFL, they got the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, drafting Fernando Mendoza as the future face of the franchise. They also parted ways with Carroll and moved on from Smith, signaling another reset.
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Instead, they brought in Kirk Cousins as a veteran quarterback presence and hired Klint Kubiak to be their new head coach. It seemed like they were aiming for a complete teardown after finalizing a trade for Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens , before it was rescinded.
It remains to be seen what the new-look coach and quarterback combo looks like moving forward. But Mike Florio of NBC Sports is unconvinced that the seven-time Super Bowl champion is going to fix all of the issues plaguing the Raiders.
"He's not going to make them any better as long as he's doing all this other [expletive]. So let him keep doing what he's doing. Let him think that he's in a position to turn this thing around. I'm more worried about Matt Ryan , I was told, than Tom Brady."
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The former MVP has taken on a role as the President of Football for his former franchise, the Atlanta Falcons . Overseeing all aspects of the organization on the gridiron, he reports directly to team owner Arthur Blank.
Collaborating with team president and CEO Greg Beadles, Ryan will have both the head coach and general manager directly report to him. That structure, Florio believes, might be more conducive to actual results for his team.
"He loaded up the trunk and moved to Atlanta. He's there. He didn't try to do both jobs; he's all-in, all the time. You gotta be all-in all the time to be effective." However, even with the lack of results he believes Brady is going to bring in, the longtime voice of Pro Football Talk remained against him retaining his two roles.
"Is it a conflict? Yes. Should the NFL have never allowed it? Absolutely, they should never have allowed it. Are teams afraid of Tom Brady helping the Raiders turn it around? They are not."
A ton has been made of the interview and insight process for broadcasters that could give Brady an extra advantage for the Raiders, but other teams are not of the belief that it can translate to success on the field.
It remains to be seen if that ends up being the case. So far, less than two full seasons into his leadership, it is too soon to cast an official verdict. But the early returns have been far from ideal.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
