The Las Vegas Raiders have been littered with problems in the two-plus decades since they last won a playoff game. But it seems like ever since the team relocated to Las Vegas and brought in Tom Brady as a minority owner and football operation sounding board, those issues have been amplified.
Although Brady's exact day-to-day role and involvement remain a bit of a mystery, fans know by now that he has a significant voice in big-picture decisions like head coach and general manager hires, as well as who is under center at quarterback. Oh, and his good friend, Alex Guerrero, is a part of things.
Guerrero is officially the Raiders' "Wellness Coordinator," which is an intentionally vague title. Many believe that, while he does do some actual great work in Las Vegas, he is moreso there to be Brady's eyes and ears on a daily basis. To serve as Brady's proxy when he's not there, as he often isn't.
Michael Silver of The Athletic seems to think that this dynamic is a major issue in Sin City. I wouldn't buy that, Raider Nation.
Raiders fans shouldn't buy that Alex Guerrero is an issue in Las Vegas
Now, this isn't meant to be some puff piece praising Guerrero as a human being. I don't know him personally, and it only takes a simple Google search for one to rush to judgment and decipher what kind of guy he is for oneself.
But Silver's recent piece about the Maxx Crosby trade drama reads more like a hit piece on the Raiders than an account of the current happenings in Las Vegas. Guerrero, of course, came up in this article about the greater problems plaguing the Silver and Black.
"Like many players and coaches, Crosby was frustrated by the presence of Alex Guerrero, a staunch Brady ally whose official title is wellness coordinator.
"Guerrero, who regularly attends practices and meetings, purports to possess significant organizational power, informing players of impending transactions and even indicating to staff members who don’t follow his instructions that their jobs may be at risk.
"Guerrero is perceived to have a direct pipeline to Brady, who lives in Florida and serves as Fox’s lead NFL analyst, limiting his in-person presence. Suffice it to say that there are trust issues permeating the Raiders’ training facility in Henderson, Nev."
If what Silver asserts is indeed true, then it is certainly not a good look for the Raiders. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer also reported last month that Crosby had a beef with Guerrero, in particular, and that it was causing a rift. But this can be refuted by a few facts.
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The first is that Brian Hoyer, a longtime NFL quarterback who played for both the Raiders and the New England Patriots, is a fan of Guerrero. He had the following to say about the "Wellness Coordinator" in Las Vegas, whom he has worked with extensively, after Silver's report surfaced:
"Interesting because I’ve never experienced anyone who didn’t walk away from that treatment that didn’t feel better and have improvement," Hoyer said. "Matter of fact, I had to wait at times for my treatment session as Alex would try and squeeze in many players and even coaches who would want to get just 10-15 minutes of treatment from him. Both in New England and Las Vegas."
That's a ringing endorsement for Guerrero, whose work with Brady, Rob Gronkowski and more Patriots legends is well-documented. But, if we're nitpicking, that doesn't exactly preclude Guerrero from being a nuisance in the way that Silver described, right? Well, the NFLPA grades certainly do.
Under the umbrella of Guerrero's work in Las Vegas is aiding with the nutritionist and dietitian, helping with both the strength and training staff and reportedly, I say this sarcastically, serving as a de facto owner. The Raiders' grades in those categories? A, A, A and A.
In a forum where players can be honest with no repercussions, who would lie about their experience? Perhaps Guerrero, who is in a general leadership role when it comes to health and wellness, made the call to shut Crosby down late in the year. Maybe something was lost in translation. Who knows?
One thing is for sure: Guerrero has a reputation for limiting non-contact injuries, and the Raiders had very few of them during the 2025 NFL season. Crosby, of course, was one of them, but Las Vegas was one of the least-injured teams in the league. Guerrero, by and large, did his job.
If Crosby or, allegedly, others have an issue with Guerrero, why wouldn't that reflect in the NFLPA grades? If Guerrero has played a major role in the Crosby drama and he is the reason that Las Vegas trades their superstar away, then I will take my medicine.
But it seems bizarre for a wellness coordinator to be such a central figure in an organization where Brady is also a big decision-maker. Even if Maxx is mad at what Guerrero did, why is the onus on Guerrero and not Brady, who is apparently the one pulling the strings? Guerrero is just a stand-in.
Crosby may get dealt. He may not. But if someone with an intentionally ambiguous title, a genuine shadow figure in the organization, is responsible for a blockbuster trade, then it would be a bad look. But if it is a standalone incident, as it appears to be, at the very most, then it's a nothing burger.