The NFL season is just around the corner for the 2024 TV schedule, and there are some big changes coming beyond Netflix airing games on Christmas. Former NFL star Tom Brady is set to begin his commentary gig with Fox in the broadcast booth and make an exorbitant amount of money doing so. The G.O.A.T. is prepping for his big debut, but thanks to some special circumstances, he'll be required to follow some special rules other broadcasters usually wouldn't have to worry about.
As some may know, Brady is currently under consideration to become a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Should this become official, ESPN received confirmation from the NFL that the former player would face "severe" restrictions that will impact his career as a commentator. Here are some of the rules he would have to follow:
- Brady cannot enter a team's facility or observe practice.
- Brady cannot attend broadcast production meetings.
- Brady cannot publicly criticize other teams or officials and risks fines or suspensions for doing so.
- Brady is subject to the league's gambling policy.
- Brady would be subject to the NFL's anti-tampering policy and would only be permitted to "strictly social interaction with members of other clubs"
These are some pretty heavy restrictions for any broadcaster, and will make it hard for Tom Brady to be both a commentator and an objective team partner at the same time. Brady having direct ties behind the scenes may also diminish a big reason fans want to see such a legacy athlete in the booth, seeing as he won't have access to players, can't attend production meetings, or see any team run through a practice to get a sense of their game plan.
Fox commentator and former Carolina Panthers all-star Greg Olsen, whom Brady will replace in the broadcast booth, was subjected to similar rules when, as an active player on injured reserve, he served as a guest analyst for a 2017 game involving the Minnesota Vikings, who were set to face the Panthers in the coming weeks. That said, it was a one-off situation for Olsen, and not the weekly restrictions that Brady will have to deal with as he goes to work for Fox.
It is worth mentioning that Tom Brady's ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders has not yet been approved, even almost a year after news broke he had made an offer. If his bid clears the NFL's finance committee, he will need the approval of 24 of the current 32 owners in the league to be brought into the fold. Brady's job as a broadcaster for Fox stood a chance of jeopardizing that deal as owners felt he'd have an unfair level of access to other teams and create a conflict of interest should he share intel with the Raiders staff, but these restrictions may limit those fears.
That said, without the ability to talk about a lot of things broadcasters usually do when it comes to the game, I'm reminded of Terry Bradshaw talking about the unique challenge Tom Brady will face. He's going to have to be a bit more personable and potentially reveal more about his personal life than he's been used to in his professional career. Given how his Netflix roast allegedly impacted his family, who knows how willing he'll be to do that?
The caution on the side of NFL owners feels over-the-top but also understandable. Teams are frequently caught up in scandals each season for various things, and Tom Brady's issues with the Deflategate and Spygate scandals are just one example of that. Here I thought the hardest hits the former player could take were during his roast, but I have to wonder if some of this mistrust by owners factors into his past with the New England Patriots dynasty.
It would seem as though the league, in a roundabout way, is encouraging Tom Brady to make a choice. He can try to do both and face heavy restrictions and risks of suspension and fines for anything he says on the air, or he can choose between being a broadcaster or a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Both are lucrative jobs that can pay a lot of money, but which would Brady choose if forced to make that decision?
The NFL season kicks off on Thursday, September 5th, so tune in to see the best in the league competing to win it all.
