Delay Around Brady’s Raiders Stake Sparks Questions

The lagging process by which Tom Brady will officially acquire a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders — which was agreed to in May — is creating several interesting questions, both on and off the field.

The purchase hasn’t been finalized by the league, and there is no firm timetable to do so, according to NFL Media.

Brady would not be able play for a team if he owned a part of a franchise — sparking fan speculation that Brady is holding up the deal in case he wants to return to playing quarterback somewhere during the 2023 season. 

But there could be more complicated business details behind the scenes. 

Under new rules reportedly passed after Brady agreed to acquire the Raiders stake, Brady would also be unable to work for the Raiders if he held team equity. If Raiders owner Mark Davis had been hoping to add Brady to his front office, he can no longer do so.

How big a stake or how much it would cost Brady is unknown, but with the Raiders’ most recent valuation from Forbes at $6.2 billion, even a half-percent of the team could be worth $31 million.

‘Patriot For Life’

Another reason for the delay could be that Brady has changed his mind about acquiring a stake in the Raiders — potentially in favor of his longtime former NFL club.

Brady got the royal treatment last weekend when the New England Patriots welcomed the superstar back to Foxboro, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion sat with team owner Robert Kraft during the Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. “One thing I’m sure of and that will never change, is that I am a Patriot for life,” Brady said that day.