Quarterback Tom Brady explains why he decided to invest in the Las Vegas Raiders immediately after retiring from the NFL.
After making a return from his initial retirement, quarterback Tom Brady revealed at the end of this past season that he is done playing football "for good." With this, Brady will begin to prepare for his upcoming commentary gig with FOX, which will kick off in 2024. Brady also invested in the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, becoming a minority owner, but decided he wanted to be involved with one other team in the city. That team? The Raiders.
Brady spoke with the Associated Press and was asked about a variety of topics. One of those questions was why he wanted to invest in the Raiders. The former seven-time Super Bowl champion gave a lengthy response when talking about the "iconic NFL franchise."
"I grew up in the Bay Area. My favorite team was the 49ers. The team across the bay was the Raiders. And, you know, they're an iconic NFL franchise," said Brady. "When I look at a lot of the people that have impacted the NFL over a long period of time in the most positive way, (former Raiders owner and GM) Al Davis is one of them. And he's not with us anymore but I've heard incredible stories. And then the opportunity came about to become a minority owner in the Raiders, it was a dream come true for me. I'll be playing a very passive role. This is something that I'm interested in doing for the rest of my life. This is not something that I'm into it for a year or two years. You know, I've got a lot of responsibility with my Fox job, which I take very seriously. But if I'm looking over the course of my life, to have the opportunity to be involved in the NFL is a dream come true. And if I could help the NFL and continue to contribute in a positive way, then you know, that's been a very enjoyable part of my life."
Tom Brady explains why he decided to invest in the Raiders
As Brady mentions, his role with the Raiders will be "passive" and he envisions being a part of the team's ownership group for many years.
Even with the fact that Brady has retired and filled out the necessary paperwork to make it official, fans were speculating as to when he may decide to return to the field again. Yet, Brady emphatically shut down that speculation earlier this month during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
"I'm certain I'm not playing again, so I've tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that, cause I've already told people that lots of times," said Brady. "But I'm looking forward to my broadcasting career at FOX next year. I'm looking forward to the opportunity ahead with the Raiders and we're in the process of that along with the other different things I'm a part of professionally and in my personal life, just spending as much time with my kids as I can and seeing them grow up support the different things that they have going on and that's a very important job, and I take them all pretty seriously."
The Raiders are trying to recover from a bad 2022 season. Gone is Derek Carr and replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo, who underwent foot surgery after signing his contract with the Raiders. Considering how tough the AFC and the West Division are this upcoming season, fans are wondering if the team can make a run back to the playoffs, or if they'll miss out for the second year in a row.
Brady wants to continue being involved in the NFL, hence why he decided to purchase a stake in the Raiders.
