A senior NFL exec said the league decided to expand Tom Brady‘s access to players and coaches this season for his preparation for Fox game broadcasts even though he is also a team owner.
Brady, who became a minority stakeholder in the Las Vegas Raiders after retiring as a player in 2023, is entering Year 2 of his stint as Fox’s top NFL analyst. Given his ownership role, questions have arisen about whether he should enjoy the same privileges as other broadcasters, who typically spend time with coaches and players in the runup to each game.
Hans Schroeder, EVP of Media Distribution for the NFL, fielded a question about the Brady situation during a media conference call on Tuesday. The 2025 season kicks off Thursday night.
“I think we are going to be responsible and very focused on making sure we have the right rules and guidelines in place, but also allow people that are covering our game and bringing our game to 20 or 25 million people on a weekly basis, are able to do that in the best way and sort of how do we thread that needle?” Schroeder said.
Brady retired in 2023 after playing 23 seasons and winning seven Super Bowls – six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Well before hanging up his helmet for good, the quarterback had agreed to a $375 million, 10-year deal with Fox. The eye-popping sum covers not only his work in the booth but also his participation in what Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch has described as “client and promotional initiatives.”
As Brady began in the booth last season, Schroeder recalled, “we put certain rules and parameters in place. And as we got through the season, and then we ultimately had an opportunity with the test case for the Super Bowl. to learn and have Tom participate in some of those production meetings, but do so in an appropriate way. We got to an opportunity to look at what’s the right model for 2025, learning everything that we did last year.”
After further review, the exec continued, the league decided to “open up the opportunity for this year” for Brady to take part in meetings along with the Fox production team. One limit that remains concerns the home team’s practice facility. Brady won’t be permitted there even if his colleagues visit, though he will be able to “talk to a coach or a coordinator or a player or two” via a virtual hookup.
The NFL and its clubs will “make sure he has the opportunity to do all his homework that he wants to do to be, you to do what he did last year, which was do a great job covering our games and telling the story of our games week to week for all our fans,” Schroeder added. “So we feel really good about the rules and guidelines and that we have in place for this year. And I think we’ll continue to stay focused about how we look at those and of all of them where it makes sense going forward.”
The post Top NFL Exec On Why League Increased Tom Brady’s Access Despite Dual Role As Broadcaster & Team Owner appeared first on Deadline.
