You didn’t think Tom Brady was going away, did you?
No, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer isn’t returning under center anytime soon, but between his decision to join Fox and invest in the Las Vegas Raiders, he’ll be plenty busy and still involved in the NFL in some capacity.
Brady becoming a minority owner of the franchise puts to bed any rumors that he may be considering a comeback—at least for now. At the same time, he hasn’t exactly publicly addressed the opportunity he was granted by Mark Davis until now.
In an interview with the AP, Brady addressed his decision to purchase a minority stake in the Raiders, which sort of involves his ties to the Bay Area, even though he grew up a San Francisco 49ers fan.
“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,” Brady said. “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.”
Even in retirement, Brady will do everything he can to help grow the brand of the NFL, whether it’s with the Raiders or in the broadcast booth. We already know what his brand did for the league as a player, so it remains to be seen if that’ll continue beyond his playing career.
[AP]
