Tom Brady has been on the minds of Las Vegas Raiders fans for more than two decades, ever since the “Tuck Rule” game.
Now, Brady is a part owner of the team.
The long and arduous process to make Brady part of NFL ownership concluded when his stake in the Raiders was officially approved by NFL owners at the league’s fall meetings. Brady was approved on Tuesday by a unanimous vote, according to multiple reports.
In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, Brady said that he was “incredibly humbled and excited” to have been approved as an owner.
“I’m eager to contribute to the organization in any way I can, honoring the Raiders’ rich tradition while finding every opportunity to improve our offering to fans… and most importantly, WIN football games,” Brady wrote in the statement.
Brady’s group includes Knighthead Capital co-founder Tom Wagner and Brady’s Hall of Fame former Patriots teammate and ex-Oakland Raider Richard Seymour. The group agreed to buy about a 10 percent stake in the Raiders in May of 2023. It was held up initially because the NFL’s finance committee said Brady was being sold his share at a price that was much lower than the actual valuation of the franchise. The purchase price was adjusted in February, clearing the way for the sale to go through.
The sale still needed to be approved by three-fourths of the NFL owners, which happened at the fall meetings.
“We’re excited for Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Richard Seymour to become partners in the Las Vegas Raiders,” principal Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s an exciting day for the organization. It’s an exciting day for all three of those gentlemen.”
Now that he is an owner, Brady cannot choose to unretire (again) and play in the NFL. But Davis also told reporters that Brady will likely have some input on the Raiders roster. “Although Tom can’t play, I think he can help us select a quarterback in the future,” Davis said.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave the deal his blessing.
“It’s great that Tom Brady wants to invest in the NFL,” Goodell said at the league meetings. “He cares deeply about this game. He believes in its future, and I think that’s just a signal of that.”
The complication to Brady being an owner is his work with Fox as a broadcaster, which started this season. He reportedly isn’t allowed to sit in on production meetings or attend practices in preparation for his broadcasts.
Brady is one of the key figures in the history of the NFL. He won a record seven Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and set numerous passing records during his 23-year career. Now he’s back in the league in an official capacity.
