Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady and his business partner, Knighthead Capital Management co-founder Tom Wagner, reached an agreement to purchase a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2023.
While the deal was not approved until October 2024, the franchise has already undergone major changes since the arrival of the seven-time Super Bowl champion. The Raiders have since added businessmen Egon Durban and Michael Meldman to their ownership group as well.
The offseason saw Las Vegas hire John Spytek, who played a major role in bringing Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the team's next general manager. They also added the legendary Pete Carroll as their head coach.
NFL Insider confirms Tom Brady's major role in Raiders organization
Although the Raiders remain one of the most recognizable brands in sports, they have struggled tremendously since their Super Bowl appearance in 2002. They have reached the postseason just twice in the last two decades and are one of just two teams without a playoff win in that span.
It has been abundantly clear that the franchise needed a cultural overhaul. An NFL insider recently suggested that the addition of Brady to the ownership group has provided Las Vegas with exactly that.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recently revealed on "The Rich Eisen Show" how Brady has already affected the culture around the franchise.
"I would say Brady's impact on that place is (that) it's going to help keep Mark Davis at bay a little bit," Breer said. "His ability to attract other big money guys. Not a lot of people talk about this, but they brought in Egon Durban and Mike Meldman and Tom Wagner, who's his business partner, and those are huge money guys, right? Which is part of why they go pay $6 million to get Chip Kelly out of Ohio State."
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This is precisely what Raider Nation wanted to hear about their minority owner, as the franchise has sorely missed being one of the big players in the NFL landscape for years. Breer went on to talk more about how Brady is tangibly making an impact in Las Vegas already.
"It was like, 'This is not the same Raiders organization,'" Breer said. "And I've got a ton of stories from the coaching search where it was like, 'We're not the same team anymore.'"
Breer added that the type of player that Brady wants to build around will also make a huge impact on the franchise. He noted that football character is now the focus of the organization, which has been evident with the players that Spytek and Carroll have added this offseason.
Breer also dropped an interesting tidbit, noting that Brady quietly flew into Las Vegas to help the front office and coaching staff with quarterback evaluations. The Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason and later selected Cam Miller in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which already looks like a strong move.
If Brady can put his fingerprints on this organization and will them to win like he did at his two stops as a player, then the Las Vegas Raiders should be in great shape over the coming years.