Skip to main content
Raiders Today

National Criticism of Raiders' Tom Brady Is Completely Fair

Tom Brady has made several recent appearances on social media for...interesting reasons.
Hugh Straine|
Aug 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Former NFL player Tom Brady on the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Former NFL player Tom Brady on the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady has made headlines over the last several months, and not necessarily for all the best reasons.

Following Brady's permanent retirement from the NFL, he lay low for a lengthy period of time. However, over the last several months, similar to many sports icons over the years, he has yearned for the spotlight once again.

However, Brady is a bit of a unique case.

d
Aug 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (L) talks to former NFL player Tom Brady (R) before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Tom Brady's 'Shameless' Post-Retirement Actions Gain National Criticism

Legendary athletes like Brady aren't just incredible at their sport; they are flat-out celebrities. LeBron James, for example, is one of the most famous people in the entire world. He isn't merely a great basketball player.

Brady's resurgence into the public view started when he signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports and began his tenure as a broadcaster in 2024.

However, despite Brady providing great in-game commentary on the NFL, many of his later attempts to make headlines weren't as positive. The first major smear against Brady came when he agreed to a three-hour comedy special on Netflix called The Roast of Tom Brady, which brought back touchy private-life subjects and scandals from his time with the New England Patriots.

Brady's quest to remain public continued, leading to more bad looks in recent months. Awful Announcing's Brendon Kleen spoke on some of the matters Brady has been involved with.

d
Aug 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Former NFL player Tom Brady before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"The roughly 18 months since have instead proven Brady’s insatiable thirst for attention and wealth," Kleen said. "In partnership with Fox and the Saudi Arabian government, he hosted a flag football game with NFL stars this past spring that mercifully was moved from Riyadh to Los Angeles. Almost nobody watched, and attendance was poor."

This references Brady's next unofficial return from retirement to headline the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles in March 2026. Brady heavily marketed the event, but according to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, the game averaged about 650,000 viewers and peaked at 909,000.

Internet creator Logan Paul also participated in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, and Paul is now the latest subject of Brady's name in headlines for not-so-great reasons. It began when Brady made an appearance on Paul's podcast, "Impaulsive," in February, and the two took jabs at each other about the upcoming Flag Football Classic.

The tension between the two culminated at Fanatics Fest in New York City over the weekend, where Brady physically slapped Paul in the face. Two days later, at the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, Brady and Paul were seen making some "unkind" gestures toward one another.

Now, it has been reported that Brady and WWE are in talks about a potential partnership, which could be behind the public "beef" between Brady and Paul. Paul has turned into a WWE figure, and Riyadh will host WrestleMania 43 next April. Fox and the Saudi Arabian government partnered for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, meaning this could be a media spectacle for an eventual wrestling match between Paul and Brady.

Are Tom Brady's Actions Hurtful to Raiders Organization?

It is clear that Brady has no problem putting himself out there for the publicity. Kleen later added more on Brady's "insatiable thirst for attention and wealth."

"Brady, though, is by far the most shameless. From gambling and prediction markets to foreign investment funds to crypto, there is no bridge too far for Brady if the money is good."

"It turns out that the exceptional fame and resources Brady amassed in his career did not lead him to rethink how aging athletes could influence the world. Merely, it raised the stakes of Brady’s tireless pursuit of even more of all of it."

Now, are Brady's actions hurting the Raiders as an organization? No. However, they can assuredly tarnish Brady's reputation over time.

The minority owner has been very vocal on the disaster that was the 2025 Raiders and the immense improvement he expects in 2026. One can already question how Brady can effectively be a minority owner of a franchise while also being a consistent TV personality. Add in his constant appearances in the media, and it makes fans wonder: Is this the best thing for the Raiders?

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Hugh Straine
HUGH STRAINE

Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI.

Share on XFollow HughStraine