Raiders want Tom Brady to have a ‘big voice’ in the future; His broadcasting duties may complicate this

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis says seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady will have “a big voice” in the immediate and long-term future of the organization.

But due to Brady’s broadcast obligations, when his voice will be heard with the Raiders is a different matter altogether. And sources believe the timing related to Brady’s second career could potentially complicate the transfer of head coach Antonio Pierce and the subsequent search for his replacement.

Speaking at league meetings last week, Davis did not field any inquiries about the future of Pierce, who is 2-12 in his first year as a permanent head coach. But questions have been raised across the country about whether Pierce will serve as coach again after a disappointing season.

Brady, who officially became part-owner of the Raiders this fall, is in his first year as the top color commentator for Fox. Davis has not yet defined Brady’s full role with the team out of respect for Brady’s work. And with Fox broadcasting this year’s Super Bowl, Davis said Brady won’t be fully involved with the team until after the mid-February game.

“When Tom was hired, I promised Fox that we wouldn’t get in the way of Tom’s job and that he would be one of the best announcers in sports,” Davis said at meetings in Irving, Texas, last week. ” “As far as that goes, whatever he does with the Raiders will be in the future. Obviously, I talk to him all the time and his input is greatly valued and will always be valued over time. We’ll see how his role evolves here, but he’s very excited about it, but we’re still respecting his obligations to Fox.”

Asked if that meant Brady would not have a role on the team until after the Super Bowl, Davis said: “I don’t know if you can put it that way, but obviously he has Having the Super Bowl gives them an extra two a few weeks later and he’s going to be completely tied in with Fox, so I think that’s the answer to the question.”

The Raiders season will end on January 5 against the Chargers, and Super Bowl LIX will be played on February 9. If Davis chooses to move on from Pierce, his promise to a broadcast partner could conflict with the timeline of the head-coach search.

Under Pierce, the Raiders failed to build on last season’s exciting finish when Pierce took over as interim coach, winning five of nine games and earning the players’ hearts without an outside search.

Davis then grouped Pierce with former Chargers GM Tom Telesco, and selected an experienced personnel chief to match with the head coach for the first time. The team signed Gardner Minshew in the offseason, but could not settle for a difference-making quarterback in the draft.

After a preseason where neither Minshew nor Aidan O’Connell distinguished themselves, Pierce went with veteran Minshew to start the season. Minshew was benched several times during the season.

Nine games into the year, Pierce fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Craig, and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, all of whom Pierce had hired in the offseason. Interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner is rumored as a candidate to join Bill Belichick at UNC, which, if true, would make the Raiders their fifth offensive coordinator since the start of the 2023 season.

And heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Jaguars, the Raiders have lost 10 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NFL. Just like the divorce with All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, the Chiefs’ loss on Black Friday led to players and staff meeting over tactical and questionable game-management decisions. Eight of their 12 losses have come by more than one possession.

But Davis, as well as multiple sources around the Raiders, have reported that despite the low season, the team has not given up on Pierce. The players are still working hard under the leadership of their head coach.

“I would say the one thing this team has done is compete hard every game, they’ve been playing hard,” Davis said. “It’s something you don’t get all the time when things don’t go as well as you want. The way this team has responded is positive.”

Davis said Pierce and Telesco would be evaluated separately because “they didn’t come in as a team”, which many took to mean that Telesco’s job was safe as he would be a top-100 draft pick for many years. Despite failing in selection, he continues to make the roster.

Moving on from Pierce and hiring a new head coach would mean Davis would have to pay a total of three head coaches and two general managers. Pierce, former head coach Josh McDaniels and former GM Dave Ziegler still have time and money remaining on their contracts.

But a source was quick to point out that Davis recently received the cash. Davis orchestrated a series of transactions in this case, selling approximately 25% of the Raiders to various co-owners, including Brady, and resulting in him receiving millions of dollars.

After nearly two years of trying, Brady finally had his bid approved to get a piece of the Raiders in October. He agreed to several rules regarding his TV job, including a ban on Saturday production meetings and access to team facilities. And although there is a bylaw that prevents owners from becoming team employees, he also promised the NFL that he would not retire.

An NFL source confirmed that there are no league rules against Brady assisting in the scouting of any potential Raiders while performing his broadcasting duties.

Brady will play a key role in selecting the quarterback of the future for the Raiders, who are in the running for the no. 1 overall selection in April’s draft.

Davis said, “I want Tom to have a big voice. There’s no question about it.” “It’s part of building the infrastructure of the organization, which is something we didn’t have… having a football person on that side of it who isn’t a coach or a general manager, but someone who can oversee the whole picture. And I believe that in time Tom will be the one who can do that.

“He has a great ability to communicate on a level that people can understand and not try to talk over them. I’m excited and really grateful that he is a part of the Raiders organization.”