From the outside, Tom Brady continues to be the familiar television face of Fox across various NFL broadcasts. Inside the Las Vegas Raiders front office, however, he is viewed by some as a powerful voice despite being only a minority owner-though others within the organization question that perception.
Brady’s role as an analyst and media figure, separate from his executive responsibilities with the Raiders, has drawn increasing attention. With Las Vegas eliminated from playoff contention, it appears that football operations have taken a back seat. The question is no longer whether Brady influences the team, but how far his power truly extends.
Since acquiring an ownership stake in October 2024, multiple reports have agreed on one unsettling point: the Raiders’ chain of command is not clearly defined, even among those working inside the building.
Sources cited by The Athletic describe an environment in which key football decisions do not always have a clearly identifiable author, and where Brady consistently emerges as a trusted advisory figure to owner Mark Davis.
It is no coincidence that the hiring of general manager John Spytek-Brady’s former teammate at Michigan-came shortly after Brady joined the ownership group. Nor is it insignificant that Pete Carroll publicly acknowledged Brady’s presence as a factor in his decision to accept the Raiders head coaching position.
Should Brady step away from television?
The Raiders enter the final week of the season with a 2-14 record, the worst mark of the 2025 NFL season. For some, that raises serious questions about certain decisions Brady made or may have influenced.
For example, Las Vegas passed on signing Sam Darnold in free agency and opted not to select Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft, two moves that reportedly had Brady’s approval.
However, current Raiders wide receiver Phillip Dorsett II-who knows Brady firsthand after winning a Super Bowl alongside him in New England-believes the franchise is poised to change its fortunes thanks to the influence of its new minority partner.
For Dorsett, the key is not raw talent, but the obsessive methodology Brady carried over from his time with the Patriots.
“He’s (Tom Brady) gonna get this thing turned around for sure. He’s heavy into the details, obviously he learned that from Bill,” Dorsett said, underscoring the importance of operational discipline.
According to the veteran receiver, Brady will leave nothing to chance in his executive role. “The process matters, everything matters. Reset the process and hopefully it’ll be better in the future,” Dorsett concluded.
There is no place for a culture of mediocrity in the Raiders’ future, but attention must be paid to Brady’s commitments outside the organization, as they could eventually become a distraction.
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