Tom Brady

Owners Approving Tom Brady Raiders Stake Would End Any Unretirement Bid

September 26th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady‘s loose Raiders affiliation has already forced the NFL to place significant restrictions on his broadcasting career, preventing him from entering team facilities ahead of covering games for FOX. Brady also cannot take part in pregame meetings with players, representing a highly unusual arrangement for an announcer. Another notable wrinkle will come to pass if the all-time QB great is finally approved as a Raiders part-owner.

Should owners approve Brady’s Raiders ownership stake, it will officially put an end to a second unretirement. Brady, who mentioned the prospect of unretiring once again this offseason, would be prohibited from following through with any plan if he becomes a part-owner for the Las Vegas franchise, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes.

This summer, Brady said he was not opposed to making an in-season return. This was interesting since the 23-year veteran had closed the door on a comeback in 2023, shortly after purchasing a stake in the Raiders. This included rebuffing his hometown 49ers, who sought to have him start and mentor Brock Purdy last year.

NFL owners had cited issues with Brady’s stake price and conflict of interest with his broadcasting gig, Those matters have since been resolved, but owners did not approve Brady’s stake at their most recent meetings, continuing a trend with the matter not coming up. Attending a Raiders practice late in the 2023 season even tripped alarms for owners.

Momentum does appear to be building toward Brady finally becoming a part-owner in December, but if the 47-year-old is voted in, he will officially bid farewell to a second unretirement. While Brady famously attempted to become a player/owner for the Dolphins during his first retirement in 2022, leading to a stiff penalty for that organization, a 2023 rule change would prohibit him from playing for the Raiders while owning a piece of the franchise.

Previously, Brady could have been a player/owner in Vegas had 24 owners approved it. Now, Jones writes no such vote would take place. Shortly after MLS club Inter Miami added Lionel Messi as a player while giving the soccer legend equity in the franchise, the NFL passed a rule nixing teams from doing the same. Owners would have been unlikely to approve Brady as a player/owner in Miami, but the matter was on the table. Now, Brady would need to decide — if an opportunity arose for him to leave the broadcast booth and take part in this season. He has certainly been given plenty of time on this front, as the NFL’s finance committee has tabled this matter since Brady agreed to buy a piece of the Raiders in May 2023.

Brady retired in both February 2022 and February 2023, famously backtracking on the first exit to play the age-45 season he had long sought to do. Stretching the boundaries of the quarterback position in terms of accomplishments and longevity, Brady is widely considered to have put together the greatest career in NFL history. His 2022 season brought a significant step back from a 2021 campaign for which the first-ballot Hall of Famer-to-be earned second-team All-Pro accolades. But Brady remains on the NFL periphery in terms of another comeback. His Raiders agreement seemingly puts the kibosh on the matter, though the aspiring owner — one whose planned passive role has caused several issues — may be months away from stepping into those ranks.

Raiders Notes: Meyers, Brady, Edge Rush

September 12th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers wound up retaining Brandon Aiyuk on a four-year, $120MM extension after extensive talks with outside teams about a trade. Had they ended up dealing the second-team All-Pro to the Steelers, acquiring an experienced wideout to replace him would have become a priority.

One of San Francisco’s known targets in that respect was Courtland Sutton. The Broncos turned aside interest in a trade which would have sent Sutton to the Bay Area, but they were not the only team in the AFC West to receive an offer concerning a veteran wideout. The 49ers “approached” the Raiders about Jakobi Meyers, Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.

Talks on the Meyers front proved to be very short-lived, however, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. In the end, Aiyuk deciding to remain in San Francisco ended the need for any further WR pursuit on the part of the 49ers. Meyers, 27, recorded 807 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns during his debut Raiders campaign last season. With two years remaining on his pact, expectations are high for another strong year in 2024. The former Patriot would have stepped into a starting role in an Aiyuk-less 49ers receiver room, but it comes as no surprise a trade was not seriously considered by Raiders GM Tom Telesco.

Here are some other notes out of Las Vegas:

Tom Brady‘s ownership stake in the team is still not official, but other NFL owners have kept it in mind during the start of his broadcasting career. Brady faces many restrictions in his gig as FOX’s lead color commentator owing to the fact he is set to be a part of Mark Davis‘ ownership group. As Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes, the seven-time Super Bowl winner was present for Vegas’ final practice during the 2023 season. That may have raised additional questions about how hands-on he will be once his stake is finalized, and it helps explain the steps taken to eliminate Brady’s access to other teams during his broadcasting tenure.
With Malcolm Koonce set to miss significant time (if not the entire season), it was particularly problematic when fellow defensive end Tyree Wilson suffered a knee sprain in Week 1. The latter avoided the worst-case scenario, but he could still miss time. The Raiders have since worked out K’Lavon Chaisson and added him on a practice squad deal; the former Jags first-rounder could provide depth, but more moves could be coming. Head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) Telesco is still looking into defensive end additions. Vegas has over $28MM in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if a veteran like Yannick Ngakoue or Carl Lawson is pursued.
Defensive lineman Jonah Laulu was one of the players let go by the Colts during roster cutdowns, and the Raiders claimed him off waivers. The seventh-round rookie was a prospect the Raiders wanted to select in the draft, Pierce said (via Tafur’s colleague Tashan Reed). Laulu began his college career at Hawaii before transferring to Oklahoma. He flashed potential with the Sooners while catching Pierce’s attention in the process, and he will now look to carve out a role in Vegas.

Tom Brady Faces Restrictions As Announcer; Latest On Ownership Stake

September 8th, 2024 at 7:35am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 8: We are once again hearing that Brady’s ownership stake in the Raiders could soon be approved. Mark Maske of the Washington Post said at the end of last month that the matter could be put to a vote at the next owners meeting in October, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com echoed that sentiment this morning.

Rapoport also noted that the vote could be pushed to the December labor seminar and Special League Meeting, but in any event, the expectation is that Brady will land approval as a minority owner in 2024.

AUGUST 31: The 2024 season will mark the beginning of Tom Brady‘s broadcasting career. The seven-time Super Bowl winner will operate as FOX’s lead color commentator, a role which has led to questions stemming from his pending purchase of a minority stake in the Raiders.

Brady worked out an agreement to join Mark Davis as one of the Raiders’ owners last May, but that deal has yet to be approved by the NFL. The purchase price is not believed to be point of contention anymore; rather, the issue of a potential conflict of interest remains as a sticking point amongst a number of the league’s other owners. Steps have been taken to allow Brady to operate as a broadcaster but with unique restrictions attached.

The 47-year-old will not be allowed to enter the facilities of teams other than the Raiders, nor will he take part in production meetings leading up to the games he calls, the NFL announced this week (h/t ESPN’s Seth Wickersham). Those meetings are commonplace during the days leading up to broadcasts and involve in-person conversations with players and coaches from both teams. Preventing Brady from being a part of that process should keep him from being able to use his position to provide a competitive advantage to the Raiders.

The future Hall of Famer – who inked a 10-year, $375MM deal with FOX and took a year off after his playing career ended to prepare for the transition to broadcasting – will also be subject to the league’s gambling and tampering policies even though he is not yet officially an owner. The criteria affecting Brady will take effect immediately, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press confirms. Brady will be allowed to call Raiders games, and while on the air for those contests (and all others) he will be bound by the league rules which prohibit public criticism of officials and other teams.

No other member of the FOX staff will be subject to the rules Brady will need to abide by. Precedent for such restrictions exists based on Greg Olsen‘s initial time spent with the network as a broadcaster. Olsen’s earliest work as a color commentator came while he was still a player with the Panthers. Upon retirement, he took on full-time broadcasting work, becoming FOX’s lead analyst until this season, when Brady will replace him as Kevin Burkhart’s partner.

No firm timeline exists for when Brady’s ownership deal will be approved; that process still sits with the NFL’s finance committee. Once the agreement is put to a vote for all owners, at least 24 of 32 will need to give it the green light for him to formally join the ownership ranks. The league’s decision to implement restrictions on his broadcasting tenure could be a sign that approval will come about sometime in 2024, though.

Richard Seymour Joins Tom Brady In Agreeing To Buy Raiders Stake

July 9th, 2024 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Richard Seymour‘s Patriots years played the lead role in forging a Hall of Fame path, he has operated in a post-playing role for the Raiders. That continued this offseason, when the Silver and Black made the former defensive lineman part of their search process upon filling their HC and GM positions.

Seymour, who played for the Raiders from 2009-12, was part of the committee that met with HC and GM candidates this offseason. The 12-year NFL veteran is on track to continue playing a role in Las Vegas, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reporting he has agreed to buy an ownership stake.

Seymour is close to finalizing this agreement, which will make him a part-owner and limited partner of the AFC West franchise, and Florio adds the former Patriots first-rounder will team with Brady — along with their own respective partners — to own 10.4% of the club. NFL owners must approve this stake, and they have not yet signed off on Brady’s piece of the Raiders despite the QB legend-turned-broadcaster having agreed to become a Raiders minority owner in May 2023.

The Raiders will aim to present this arrangement for approval at the October owners’ meetings, per Florio. It is believed the issue of Brady’s stake price, which Mark Davis was initially believed to have sold at a steep discount, has been resolved. But Seymour being part of this process may further alleviate concerns among other owners. Though, Brady’s role with FOX now looks to be the primary issue holding up his route into the ownership ranks.

Roger Goodell said the NFL will need to adopt a policy regarding Brady operating in a dual ownership/announcer role, as owners have voiced concerns about the debuting FOX color analyst being a Raiders owner while having access to other teams’ facilities to prepare for game assignments. Seymour’s ownership stake would not seem to affect this component of Brady’s ownership snag, so it remains to be seen if 24 owners will approve the former Patriot teammates’ bid to join Davis as Raiders owners.

The Patriots traded Seymour to the Raiders just before the 2009 season. The four-year Oakland cog made two Pro Bowls during his Raiders stay, one that included the veteran defender providing some assistance to Mark Davis in his early period as the team’s owner. Al Davis had approached Seymour about a future front office role, and he joined Mark Davis, team president Sandra Douglass Morgan, director of football administration Tom Delaney, board member Larry Delsen and advisor Ken Herock on the interview panel that produced the Antonio Pierce-Tom Telesco partnership. Although Seymour’s ownership bid has hurdles to clear, it certainly looks like the Raiders have the 44-year-old in their plans moving forward.

AFC West Notes: Franklin-Myers, Broncos, Brady, Raiders, OL, Chiefs, Cook, Chargers

June 19th, 2024 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets work on a solution to bring trade acquisition Haason Reddick into the fold, the Broncos have longtime Gang Green D-line starter John Franklin-Myers penciled into a starting post. Franklin-Myers is expected to start alongside Zach Allen and D.J. Jones in Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 scheme. The Broncos acquired the 27-year-old D-lineman for only a 2026 sixth-round pick, with the deal amounting to a salary dump on the Jets’ part. Denver reworked Franklin-Myers’ deal, with terms (two years, $15MM) north of where a Jets pay-cut offer came in, and improved one of their DE spots from last season. The former Rams draftee said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold) he spoke with Joseph and Broncos senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt about how he would fit in Denver’s scheme, helping move the trade across the goal line.

While significant questions remain about the Broncos’ viability as a contender, the team has experienced cogs at just about every spot across both lines. Here is the latest from the AFC West:

The Chiefs boast experience at four positions on their offensive front, but the reigning champions’ left tackle post is unsettled as of now. Second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia looks to hold an early lead on 2023 third-rounder Wanya Morris for the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. Suamataia took the majority of the first-team reps during minicamp. Training camp will, of course, provide a clearer indication of this position battle (subscription required). Should Suamataia end up losing the competition, it would stand to reason he would have a shot to eventually claim it as he develops. But the BYU product is off to a nice start, albeit in unpadded work.
Down Bryan Cook for their final nine games due to an ankle injury, the Chiefs saw the third-year safety participate fully in minicamp, Taylor adds. This certainly brings good news, given that Cook was carted off Lambeau Field in early December. The Chiefs, who lost fill-in Mike Edwards to the Bills this offseason, are once again planning to turn to Cook and Justin Reid as their starting safeties.
Trey Pipkins‘ move to guard is looking likely to produce a starting opportunity. Pipkins joined Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman and Joe Alt in taking every first-team rep during the team’s final OTA and the minicamp open to media, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper writes. Jim Harbaugh said this group is on track to be a “top-tier” O-line. A career-long tackle, Pipkins’ guard move has been in the works for a bit now. Two seasons remain on his three-year, $21.75MM deal.
Jim Leonhard interviewed for the Eagles’ defensive coordinator job last year and appeared the frontrunner for the Packers’ DC gig in 2021. After leaving his Wisconsin DC post following the 2022 season, Leonhard spent last year as an analyst at Illinois. Sean Payton hired Leonhard to coach the Broncos‘ DBs this year and said (via DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens) he attempted to hire the former safety in 2023. Leonhard undergoing a hip replacement delayed this partnership, but he has since replaced Christian Parker, who joined the Eagles this offseason.
Nearly 13 months have passed since Tom Brady agreed to buy a Raiders stake. The owners continue to table the matter, with multiple issues — from the stake price (since resolved) to the conflict of interest with Brady’s FOX job — coming up. Owners did not discuss this at last month’s meetings, but the Washington Post’s Mark Maske notes Brady still is more likely than not to end up a Raiders minority owner. Roger Goodell said Brady’s access to team facilities and practices would need to be addressed if he is approved. Barring a special session, the owners’ next chance to vote in Brady as a Raiders part-owner comes in October.

Owners Concerned About Tom Brady Conflict Of Interest In Raiders Ownership Role

May 22nd, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 22: A Brady policy of sorts will need to be discussed if the Raiders agreement is eventually approved, per Roger Goodell (via Maske). The longtime commissioner mentioned the former QB’s access to team facilities as an issue if/once he becomes a minority owner.

This is still on hold, however. The latest round of owner meetings came and went without a vote on Brady’s Raiders stake, Maske adds. Despite the progress being made, Goodell said issues remain. Brady’s TV career appears a key matter. More than a year has now passed since Brady agreed to buy a stake in the AFC West franchise, and while Goodell discussing the topic keeps it on the radar, NFL owners continue to delay this matter.

MAY 17: In the news lately for his much-discussed roast and a mention of a possible in-season comeback, Tom Brady is months away from beginning his career as a play-by-play analyst. The legendary quarterback will cover the Cowboys-Browns matchup for FOX in Week 1.

While some doubt about Brady following through with his broadcasting deal existed, we are moving close to a rare setup in which the NFL’s most famous player calls games for a network. This gig will allow Brady access to team facilities during the lead-up to games. Hans Schroeder, CEO of NFL media, said (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) no limitations regarding which games Brady can or cannot cover are in place.

The subject of limitations pertaining to Brady’s new role has come up due to his ongoing quest to become a part-owner of the Raiders. In May 2023, Brady agreed to purchase a stake of Mark Davis‘ franchise. The agreement, however, is still not official. Although concerns about the stake price Davis set for Brady have been resolved, the conflict-of-interest issue remains. With Brady now firmly on track to start his analyst career this season, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske reports some in the ownership ranks have expressed issues with him receiving access to team practices and facilities for his FOX role.

Should Brady ultimately be approved as a Raiders minority owner, teams will naturally be leery about sharing information with him while he is representing FOX. This would put questions to either the NFL or certain teams about limiting the future Hall of Famer’s access ahead of broadcasting assignments. The issue of a universal Brady policy taking effect or if his access will be determined on a team-by-team basis has come up, Maske adds.

The prospect of Brady’s status changing if he is approved as a Raiders part-owner does appear to be in play. Schroeder left this door open by qualifying the NFL’s no-limitations stance re: Brady by saying (via Maske), “Right now, Tom’s not an owner of the Raiders.” If the 46-year-old QB-turned-announcer is approved, this will make for an interesting chapter in NFL broadcasting history.

A February report indicated Brady’s path to becoming a Raiders part-owner was clearing up, but during the latest round of meetings in late March, no discussions about a vote on this matter are believed to have taken place. No Brady ownership talk occurred at the December owners meetings, either. Brady’s ownership route remains on hold, but it is not closed off yet. Brady said last year he plans to plav a “very passive” role as a minority owner, though a November report pointed to him being involved in the Raiders’ HC and GM hiring process. This job at FOX — one Brady delayed for a year in an effort to better prepare himself following his second retirement as a player — continues to generate understandable concerns among teams.

Brady, who co-owns the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces with Davis, did see an effort to become a player/owner with the Dolphins nixed — to the point the team lost first- and third-round picks and saw its owner suspended — and the NFL may soon need to make another decision on a dual role involving the former Patriots and Buccaneers QB.

Tom Brady Not Ruling Out Comeback

April 11th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Flacco managed to win Comeback Player of the Year acclaim despite not debuting for the Browns until December. This came as Tom Brady, who memorably backtracked on his first retirement in 2022, remained out of the game. The all-time great, once again, may be waffling on being fully retired.

Appearing on an episode of DeepCut with VicBlends, Brady said he “wouldn’t be opposed to” coming back in the right situation. Given the number of quarterbacks that went down last season, opportunities opened last year. Brady’s hometown 49ers also extended an invitation for him to sign last year — a situation that would have seen the 46-year-old icon mentor Brock Purdy — but he declined.

“I’m not opposed to it,” Brady said of another comeback, via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “I don’t know if they’re going to let me, if I become an owner of an NFL team, I don’t know. I’m always going to be in good shape, always going to be able to throw the ball. So, to come in for a little bit, like MJ coming back, I don’t know if they’d let me, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

This response came after Brady was asked a question about a Flacco-type return to join a contender who lost its starting QB late in a season. Set to start his high-priced contract as FOX’s lead game analyst, Brady has also seen the NFL stall his path to becoming a Raiders minority owner. This situation has been delayed for nearly a year. Brady agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders in May 2023, but owners have yet to approve him as a part-owner of the AFC West club. Brady’s FOX affiliation, and the price Mark Davis set for him to buy in, have represented hurdles here. Progress emerged on this front in February, but the matter remained unresolved at last month’s owners’ meetings.

Brady passed on the 49ers, who certainly offered just about as good of a situation as there was last season, so it would be interesting to see just what would pique his interest about a second unretirement. The 23-year veteran mentioned the Patriots and Raiders as teams he could potentially play for. Neither brings anything close to the roster strength last year’s 49ers edition supplied. When asked about playing in 2023 last June, Brady said he was “certain” he was done playing. Nearly a year later, it does not appear that is the case.

Brady’s 2022 season did not match the quality he submitted in 2021 — a second-team All-Pro campaign — or late in 2020, when his improved play rallied the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl LV title. But he was certainly a starter-caliber passer at age 45. The seven-time Super Bowl champion being out of the league for a year and being set to turn 47 before next season would stand to make teams skittish, as there is no track record of a non-specialist playing at that age. As Brady’s ownership path may be stalled, he has not so subtly reopened the door about playing yet another season.

Citing Michael Jordan’s early-2000s Washington Wizards comeback as a player/owner, Brady attempted to pull off this double with the Dolphins in 2022. That brought consequences for the AFC East franchise, which was docked first- and third-round picks for tampering with Brady and Sean Payton that year. It would seem easier for Brady if he put the ownership matter on hold and agreed to return — a decision that would again shake up FOX’s plans — but it does not appear he is ready to do that. Brady is already a part-owner of Davis’ WNBA franchise (the Las Vegas Aces).

While Flacco made a successful comeback in Cleveland, he was in the NFL (and in his 30s) in 2022. The 49ers, however, also had loose plans to sign Philip Rivers had they made a miraculous comeback in the 2022 NFC championship game. Rivers retired after the 2020 season; a re-emergence after Purdy’s UCL tear in Super Bowl LVII would have involved the ex-Chargers and Colts QB returning in the emergency circumstance at age 41. Brady changing his mind again at 47 would add another chapter to his historically unique legacy. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a legitimate storyline going forward.

Tom Brady’s Potential Stake In Raiders Still On Hold

March 24th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 24: Davis offered an update on the Brady situation during the opening day of the league meetings, Maske notes. He confirms, however, that the finance committee has not taken any new action and the matter is still not expected to be on the agenda over the next three days.

MARCH 22: 10 months ago, it was first reported that former NFL great Tom Brady had agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders. After delays resulting from issues over the terms of the sale, it was reported a little over a month ago that those issues had been resolved and that the sale had been cleared for approval, pending a vote at the annual league meetings in Orlando from March 24-27. Now, disputing that latter report, Mark Maske of The Washington Post tells us that the league is no longer expected to vote on the sale next week.

The newest report didn’t really add any new detail, so suffice it to say that an issue concerning a conflict of interest with Brady’s broadcasting contract with FOX is the likely cause of the holdup. Brady agreed to a 10-year, $375MM deal that will begin in 2024 and position Brady as the network’s No. 1 color commentator alongside top play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt.

Of course, teams do not want anyone with an ownership stake in a rival outfit having the access and obtaining the inside information that broadcasters often enjoy, but no plans have been made to suggest that his access will be any different than that of his media peers. With no solution imminent, one may assume that this potential conflict of interest remains a key sticking point.

Another aspect of the deal that other league owners reportedly took issue with was the bargain price at which Raiders owner Mark Davis was trying to sell a share of his club to Brady. Although minority pieces of a sports franchise are frequently sold for discounted rates — due to limited partners’ minimal contributions to franchise operations — it was rumored that Davis may have been offering Brady, one of his most-respected confidants, a 70% discount.

It sounded in February as if the purchase price was increased to placate Davis’ fellow owners. The Raiders are valued at $6.2 billion, according to Forbes, and Brady’s ownership group is purchasing a 10% interest, with Brady reportedly putting up roughly seven percent himself. The report from February also indicated that all other hurdles to the sale had been cleared and that an approved vote was expected at the upcoming meeting. Instead, Brady remains in wait as the impending vote delays the sale once again.

“In wait” is a generous term, to be fair, though. Despite claiming that he intends to have a “passive role” in the franchise, Brady has been pretty active without even having a stake in the team. As a confirmed unofficial advisor to Davis, Brady reportedly assisted in the Raiders’ recent head coaching search and advised in the hiring of new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. If this is what an uninvested Brady looks like, it will be interesting to see what his “passive role” will be in minority ownership.

QB Rumors: Brady, 49ers, Purdy, Dalton, Eagles, Maye, Jones, Giants, Jackson, Ravens

February 28th, 2024 at 4:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Brock Purdy‘s account that provided one final Tom Brady–49ers connection. Shanahan alerted Purdy of his effort to lure Brady out of retirement during the younger QB’s rehab from UCL surgery. Brady passed, leading to the 49ers’ Sam Darnold signing.

“I actually thought it was giving Brock the biggest compliment,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “I let him know he’s our guy long term. No question. And if Tom Brady wanted to come here and start for one year, that’s the only way you’re not starting when you’re healthy this year. That’s pretty cool. I wanted to assure him, ‘Don’t worry. You’re our guy. But how cool would it be if Tom Brady would be the quarterback here for one season? How cool would it be for you to learn from him?’

“I mean, if Brock never got hurt, this wouldn’t have been a consideration at all. I’d never have brought it up. But I’ve got to think about the team. What if he’s not ready in September?”

Brady’s re-retirement has stuck, with the 46-year-old legend not playing in 2023. The 49ers passed on making a serious pursuit of the Bay Area native in 2020, sticking with Jimmy Garoppolo. Brady was connected to the 49ers in 2022 as well, but when the Buccaneers would not trade his rights during retirement No. 1, he came back to Tampa. The seven-time Super Bowl winner is en route to becoming a Raiders minority owner and FOX’s No. 1 analyst. Purdy, who was back by training camp and showed last season his post-Garoppolo work as a rookie was no fluke, is signed through the 2025 season. The 49ers cannot give him an extension until after this year.

Here is the latest from the quarterback scene:

Drake Maye will join Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels in not throwing at the Combine, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. Widely expected to be a top-five pick, Maye is only scheduled to meet with teams and go through physicals. A light Indianapolis schedule is mostly available only to surefire candidates to go off the board early, but such prospects are taking advantage of the limited participation option.
Not nearly on the level of the Brady-49ers what-if transaction, the Eagles made a strong pursuit for Andy Dalton during last year’s free agency, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes. A signing was close here, per Caplan, but Philadelphia pivoted to Marcus Mariota after Dalton chose Carolina’s two-year, $10MM ($8MM guaranteed) offer. The Eagles added Mariota on a one-year, $5MM deal. Barring a Mariota re-signing, Philly will need to add a new backup quarterback soon.
Daniel Jones‘ rehab continues to unfold smoothly. Giants GM Joe Schoen expects his starter to be ready for training camp and indicated the sixth-year veteran has begun throwing. Jones is not yet dropping back and throwing, but not yet four months after his ACL tear, the longtime New York starter is progressing toward his goal of a training camp return. Schoen reiterated (via Giants.com’s Michael Eisen) at the Combine that Jones will be the Giants’ starter if healthy. The Giants are still expected to add a quarterback, though one of this offseason’s central storylines is whether that passer will be a first-round pick or merely a veteran backup for Jones. The Giants can get out of Jones’ contract with a modest dead-money sum in 2025.
Lamar Jackson did not sign his Ravens extension until draft day last year, stalling his start in new OC Todd Monken‘s system. That did not exactly slow the dual-threat superstar, who won his second MVP award. But the Ravens are giving Jackson more autonomy into the offense’s design this year, per John Harbaugh. The 17th-year Baltimore HC said conversations with Jackson about new offensive dimensions began soon after the team’s AFC championship game loss.

Tom Brady’s Ownership Interest In Raiders Cleared For Approval

February 11th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Rory Parks

It was first reported back in May that Tom Brady had agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders. The approval of that transaction was delayed for multiple reasons, but according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, all systems are go.

Other league owners reportedly took issue with the bargain price at which Raiders owner Mark Davis was trying to sell a share of his club to Brady. Although minority pieces of a sports franchise are frequently sold for discounted rates — due to limited partners’ minimal contributions to franchise operations — it was rumored that Davis may have been offering Brady, one of his most-respected confidants, a 70% discount.

It sounds as if the purchase price was increased to placate Davis’ fellow owners. Per Rapoport and Pelissero, Brady’s investment was “recently altered,” and it now reflects “the proper valuation of the team.” The duo add that all other hurdles have been cleared. The league’s finance committee will meet in early March to discuss the purchase, and final approval should come during the annual league meetings in Orlando from March 24-27.

Another concern that arose during this process stemmed from Brady’s broadcasting contract with FOX, a 10-year, $375MM deal that will begin in 2024 and that will position Brady as the network’s No. 1 color commentator alongside top play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt. Of course, teams do not want anyone with an ownership stake in a rival outfit having the access and obtaining the inside information that broadcasters often enjoy, but Rapoport and Pelissero note that Brady’s FOX plans remain unchanged without suggesting that his access wil be any different than any of his media peers.

The Raiders are valued at $5.8 billion, and Brady’s ownership group is purchasing a 10% interest (Brady himself is putting up roughly seven percent). While the legendary QB has said he intends to play a “passive role,” Rapoport and Pelissero confirm that he has operated as an unofficial advisor to Davis — he assisted in the team’s recent head coaching search and in the hiring of OC Luke Getsy — so his definition of “passive” may be a broad one.

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