'Traitor Tom'? Patriots GOAT Brady As An NFL Owner - Of the (Gulp) Raiders?!

Now comes news of another role ... and this complicates things: Tom Brady is reportedly in discussions to become a limited partner of an NFL team. And no, it's not the Patriots.

Tom Brady is considered to be the greatest New England Patriots player of all time, a retired icon who as it was just announced will be honored as such this year in Foxboro.

He is also slated to join FOX Sports at some time in the near future as the most highly-paid TV analyst of all time.

But now comes news of another role ... and this complicates things: Brady is reportedly in discussions to become a limited partner of another NFL team.

That other team? The (now of Las Vegas) Raiders. Brady already has an established history with Raiders owner Mark Davis, as this past March, the GOAT quarterback purchased a stake of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, joining up with Davis in that way.

But the questions about the budding relationship include issues of legalities and, in New England, issues of emotion.

This report of course triggers a great number of questions about Brady's future with FOX. He signed a 10-year, $375 million contract prior to the start of the 2022 season that was intended to put him to work for the network as soon as he retired. That's still in play ... though he is now retired and isn't yet actually working there.

According to ESPN, Brady has received FOX's approval to become a limited partner of the Raiders. From ESPN: "Sources said that league policy about team ownership overlapping with media employment comes into play only if the owner holds a position of authority at the media company and could impact broadcast rights negotiations.'' 

Brady's work as an on-air talent would therefore not create a business conflict. But what about a personal conflict? Brady would obviously help the Raiders in their branding in Las Vegas and beyond. But he would also obviously be helping a Raiders franchise that since, well, forever, has been a bitter rival of the Patriots. You know, "Tuck Rule,'' and all of that.

Politics, they say, makes strange bedfellows. And Tom Brady in bed with the Raiders? Yes, to Patriots fans, that's going to seem pretty strange, too.

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