Tom Brady might finally be retired from playing football, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the NFL. In fact, it feels as if he’s been in the news recently just as much as he was as a player, if not more so.
Not only is this Brady’s first season broadcasting games for FOX, but the seven-time Super Bowl Champion recently completed a purchase to become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Diana Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) gave some insight as to how involved Brady is going to be with his new team, and it’s safe to say it’s awfully reminiscent of Bill Belichick’s involvement with the New England Patriots.
“While Brady is busy broadcasting for Fox and may have only 10 percent equity in the Raiders, I expect his involvement in running the team to be closer to 90 percent. We already know the organization wants to lean on Brady when picking a future quarterback. One of Davis’s strengths is his openness to listening to experienced football people, and he values Brady’s understanding of what it takes to win at a high level,” Russini wrote.
He only owns 10 percent of the franchise, but it sounds as if Brady is going to be very involved in decisions made by the franchise. Again, that’s awfully similar to Belichick’s role with the Patriots.
Tom Brady’s role with Raiders is reminiscent of Bill Belichick’s with Patriots
With the Patriots, Belichick was not only the head coach but was also the GM. This put him in complete control of not only the coaching staff and how the team was going to be run but of the players who joined the fold. As we saw towards the end of Belichick’s tenure in New England, that might not have been the wisest decision.
From the botched Mac Jones pick to the errant Tyquan Thornton selection, Belichick made a slew of mistakes as a general manager. They were prevalent even when Brady was his quarterback, but they were especially magnified when Brady departed. Belichick is a great coach – arguably the best ever. His GM skills, however, leave a whole lot to be desired. Brady is going down this path.
Not only is Brady the owner, but he’s essentially the GM, too. He doesn’t have the GM title like Belichick did, but Russini is reporting that the Raiders want to lean on Brady when it comes to picking their future quarterback. Brady is going to be extremely hands-on even with just a 10 percent ownership stake.
Can this work? Absolutely. Brady is not Belichick, and he didn’t become the greatest quarterback in NFL history by accident. With that being said, though, Brady is not a scout. He was a great player, but does that mean he will take the right quarterback? Does that mean he’s qualified to make GM decisions? Belichick was a great coach, but the rosters he built in New England were brutal once Brady left. Being great at one thing does not make you great at another.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Brady flip the script, but history shows that hands-on ownership to this extent does not work. Hopefully in Brady’s case, he doesn’t fail in the same way Belichick did.