Tom Brady’s dual roles as Fox’s lead NFL analyst and a Raiders minority owner were on full display Saturday.
Brady separated the two jobs, for the most part. He toed the line between providing commentary during the Commanders’ 45-31 win over the Lions and serving as one of the decision-makers in the Raiders’ coaching search.
Brady was under scrutiny Saturday because of the overlap between the two roles. Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are two of the Raiders’ coaching candidates.
Johnson is considered the team’s top target. Brady’s involvement is believed to have helped pique Johnson’s interest in the job.
Thus, Brady’s presence on the broadcast raided questions about a potential conflict of interest. Would he use his platform to try to influence or get a message to Johnson or Glenn?
The Lions’ loss means the two can now be offered jobs by interested teams. The Raiders could act soon to try to get a commitment from Johnson in particular.
Balancing act
There was a brief exchange between Brady and Fox play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt acknowledging the awkwardness of Brady calling a game involving two candidates for the Raiders’ job. But otherwise, Brady steered clear of the subject.
Brady did discuss what the interview process has been like in general.
“It’s just been a great learning experience,” Brady said. “What you realize is the league’s full of great potential — and what I believe is, the resumes, the accolades, they’re all earned by what people do on the field. You earn your opportunities, and you do your performance and let that all do the talking — just as it should be, and as I did when I was a player.”
Brady briefly mentioned Glenn when discussing a play by a Lions defensive back in the first half and again in the fourth quarter after a big completion by the Commanders. But he conspicuously avoided mentioning Johnson.
That was apparent when cameras focused on Johnson on the sideline after a Lions touchdown. Neither Brady nor Burkhardt acknowledged Johnson.
A similar scene unfolded in the third quarter after two creative plays pushed the Lions near the Commanders’ goal line. The camera locked in on Johnson twice, seemingly to set up Brady to mention Johnson’s crafty play designs and calls.
Brady did not bring them up.
No overt criticism
Brady also avoided criticizing Johnson for calling a fourth-quarter wide receiver pass that was intercepted. He said it was a bad time to call a trick play, but did not mention Johnson by name.
Later in the game, with the Lions trailing 45-31, Brady questioned their decision to huddle on offense rather than play with more urgency. But again, he did not directly mention Johnson.
Brady’s only other reference to the two Lions coaches came in the closing minutes when Burkhardt mentioned that Johnson and Glenn could be leaving Detroit to become head coaches. Brady did not mention either by name, but acknowledged every team faces changes after each season.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
