Tom Brady is living an unusual second chapter after leaving the NFL as a player, with his influence now reaching both the broadcast booth and the Las Vegas Raiders. His $375 million FOX Sports contract was instantly in the headlines, but now his connection to the Raiders has created a different kind of debate.
Brady’s position gives him a presence around the league while also keeping him connected to an NFL franchise. This unusual setup has Mike Florio questioning whether the league made the right call.
Mike Florio Takes Aim at the NFL over Tom Brady’s Raiders Influence
Florio has been particularly critical of the NFL’s decision to approve Brady’s involvement with the Raiders while he remains a lead NFL game analyst and color commentator for FOX Sports. His concern centers on the access Brady can receive through broadcasting and how that could intersect with his responsibilities in Las Vegas.
“The NFL never should have allowed it, ever,” Florio said. “And there’s also a sense that everyone is gonna be fine with it until the Raiders become a powerhouse; then people are gonna be running around with their hair on fire saying, ‘Oh, we gotta do something about this.’ Well, you had your chance. You had your chance, and you let Tom Brady double dip.”
Tom Brady Should Have Never Been Allowed To Have Management Over The Raiders. Per, @MikeFlorioPFT
“The NFL never should have allowed it, ever. And there’s also a sense that everyone is gonna be fine with it until the Raiders become a powerhouse, then people are gonna be running… pic.twitter.com/S0N1TthX7y — SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) August 19, 2026
Florio also cited a Seahawks source who questioned whether the Raiders would have landed Klint Kubiak without Brady’s unique position at Fox.
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In his recent Pro Football Talk column, Florio wrote, “As to Brady, one Seahawks source recently suggested that the Raiders wouldn’t have hired Klint Kubiak as the team’s latest head coach but for Brady’s access to Kubiak as part of Brady’s Fox gig.”
That is where the NFL has drawn a line. The league established restrictions around Brady’s overlapping responsibilities, including limits on his access to opposing teams. He cannot enter rival practice facilities or watch their practices, although he can broadcast their games and participate in production meetings virtually.
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Brady can also sit in the Raiders’ coaching box and wear a headset during games. The league later extended similar restrictions to Troy Aikman after the ESPN analyst took a consulting role with the Miami Dolphins.
The financial side makes Brady’s situation even more unusual. His Fox contract pays him $37.5 million annually over 10 years, making the $375 million agreement one of the biggest deals in sports media history. His salary exceeds the annual earnings of several highly paid NFL stars outside the quarterback position.
Still, Florio’s criticism is less about Brady’s enormous paycheck and more about the access that comes with his two professional roles.
The restrictions are designed to protect competitive fairness, but they have not ended questions about where the line should be drawn.
