Tom Brady Faces Major Backlash Online For ‘Huge Conflict Of Interest’ During Monday’s Raiders Vs. Chargers Game: ‘Utter BS’

Tom Brady didn’t get off to the best start when he debuted as a Fox Sports NFL analyst this time last year. And although things have seemingly improved since then, he is back to causing a stir!

The former New England Patriots quarterback faced extreme backlash during the latest Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers game, as he went into the Raiders coaching booth during the action. This immediately raised eyebrows because, as many NFL fans already know, he actually owns a minority stake in the Raiders!

When cameras showed the seven-time Super Bowl champ sitting in the booth with a headset on during the Raiders’ 20–9 loss, fans took to social media to voice their disapproval. As he’s got skin in the game, football fans wondered whether the lines between owner, analyst, and team insider were getting a little too blurry.

Social media quickly filled up with accusations of favoritism and “conflict of interest,” with fans pointing out that no other owner in the league would ever be allowed that kind of access during a live game.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy reportedly told the Associated Press that Brady was in the booth in his capacity as a Raiders limited partner, saying: “There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game.” He went on: “All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.”

Raiders coach Pete Carroll said he knew Brady would be in the booth and pointed out that this wasn’t even the first time, as he had done the same thing during a preseason game against the 49ers. Carroll brushed off concerns, saying Brady wasn’t giving input on plays or strategy and was just casually chatting. “He is not planning games with us. He is not talking to us about anything other than our conversations that are really random,” Carroll said.

The NFL has seemingly taken this into consideration though. The NFL has previously placed restrictions on the father-of-three in his role as a broadcaster because of his 5% stake in the Raiders, although some of those rules have been relaxed this season. According to reports, he is now allowed to join team production meetings virtually, but he still can’t show up at practices or inside training facilities for other teams.

“Clear conflict of interest. The NFL cannot allow this. He needs to pick one job or the other,” thought one disgruntled football fan on X, which many others unsurprisingly agreed with.

“No access. Period. Huge conflict of interest,” echoed a second, as a third asked: “I’ll never understand this NFL obsession with Brady. They DON’T need Brady to help with ratings so why allow this clear conflict of interest?”