The Las Vegas Raiders always find themselves in the news cycle for one reason or another. But a continuously smoldering issue is the role of minority owner Tom Brady, whose multitude of other endeavors and commitments include being an NFL analyst and anouncer for FOX Sports.
Brady is constantly coming under fire for a wide variety of issues, ranging from not being involved enough with the Silver and Black to giving the Raiders a competitive advantage due to his other job descriptions, despite numerous rules in place to prevent him from doing so.
And, late last week, there was a bit of turmoil about Las Vegas fulfilling its NFL requirement to have a succession plan for their owner, Mark Davis. Of course, Brady was a part of that conversation too, and a ton remains fuzzy or unclear about the whole situation, even down to his simple job description.
Thankfully, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer came through with some great insight.
Albert Breer fills in gaps on Tom Brady's influence and Raiders' ownership plans
Whereas NBC Sports' Chris Simms and Mike Florio, the latter of whom has been quite vocal about a perceived conflict of interest with Brady's jobs, had a nuanced debate about the ethics of Brady's role and whether or not it is sustainable or beneficial for either side, Breer was more straightforward.
He immediately dove into the Raiders' planned successor, Egon Durban, and why his owning the team would mean that Brady's influence is larger than some believe. Breer also brought up a key example of what Brady's involvement looks like in Las Vegas.
"To me, this goes back a year, to the courtship of Ben Johnson ahead of the 2025 hiring cycle, when he told the Raiders, as a courtesy, that he wasn’t planning to take an interview with them. Vegas put a slip in for him anyway; Johnson’s camp wasn’t happy—they were trying not to embarrass the Raiders.
"Johnson was told to hang on, and soon enough Brady was on the phone with the soon-to-be Bears coach. Brady informed him that the old Raiders were gone, and that the big-money partners the legendary quarterback helped bring in were going to change everything. Brady’s partner in ownership of the British soccer club Birmingham City, Tom Wagner III, was one. Discovery Land founder Michael Meldman, who built the Yellowstone Club at Big Sky, where Brady has a residence, was another.
"And at the center of it was Durban, the Bay Area co-CEO of Silver Lake Capital.
"Durban brought with him serious financial might, with a net worth reported to be as high as $4.6 billion, and sports know-how, as part-owner and member of the board of the Premier League and world soccer powerhouse Manchester City. With Durban behind them and world-class facilities already in place, Brady promised Johnson that the Raiders were embarking on a reimagination of a very proud football brand."
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Obviously, Johnson ended up interviewing with the Raiders, so Brady's influence worked, to an extent. Ultimately, Johnson became the head coach of the Chicago Bears, but based on Breer's report, it is hard to deny that Brady is pretty hands-on with the Silver and Black in a lot of ways.
Plus, it seems like Durban could be a positive influence in Las Vegas, with his heavy cash flow and proximity to or relationship with Brady. Davis isn't selling the team anytime soon, if ever, but the Raiders should absolutely have a solid back-up plan in place, as league rules dictate anyway.
No, Brady isn't getting into the weeds of all the Raiders' signings and position coach hirings. But he's clearly assisting in the big-picture decisions that the organization makes, like the head coach, general manager and quarterback jobs.
Breer's report may not paint the entire picture, but he gave a very clear example of what Brady's influence is in Las Vegas, and why Durban would be a good succession plan for the Raiders. Breer's main takeaway from all of this is simple for The Nation:
"As I see it, that should give Raiders fans plenty to be excited about."