First came “Spygate”, then “Deflategate”, and now, Tom Brady, the former Patriots and Buccaneers Super Bowl-winning quarterback, finds himself at the center of a new controversy: “Broadcastgate.”
Brady found himself amidst a scandal in 2007, and the Patriots were fined for “Spygate”—a videotaping scandal where the Patriots were convicted of stealing opponents defensive signals. Controversy struck again in 2015 when Brady was suspended for four games over “Deflategate”, which accused him of using underinflated footballs during the Atlantic Football Conference (AFC) Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year. Both incidents divided fans and analysts, with some seeing Brady as a cheater while others seeing him as a scapegoat.
Now Brady defenders argue that he has a target on his back due to his massive success. He won a lot, and along the way did not make many friends. Fans across the league would love nothing more than to watch the great Tom Brady falter, fail and be labeled a cheater.
Since retiring from the league after the 2022 season, Brady has crawled his way back into the league in two capacities. In September of 2024, the future Hall of Famer began his 10-year $375 million contract as a broadcaster for FOX and bought a minority stake of the Las Vegas Raiders a month later.
Almost immediately concerns grew over conflicts of interests between the two roles, as broadcasters have the unique opportunity and responsibility to sit down with coaches, coordinators and players to discuss gameplans and what game and practice prep looks like.
Coaches could discuss personnel, strategy, game plan and thoughts about their players/staff of their opponents. These meetings are essential to ensure a smooth broadcast with the best viewing experience for you on Sundays. But what happens when you are privy to all of this information and have investment in an NFL franchise?
This is the concern. Due to Brady’s connection and ownership in the Raiders, he could turn around and provide the Vegas coaching staff with devastating insight into their opponents.
During his first year in the booth, Brady was restricted from facilities and practices for pre-broadcast preparation meetings; but this year, these rules have allowed him to attend meetings in a virtual capacity. In a way this makes sense, the NFL and FOX want to produce the best product, leaving their $375 million broadcaster in the dark could hinder the fan experience on Sunday.
There were always hints of controversy, but it came to a head in Week 2 of this season. In their 20-9 loss to the LA Chargers, images were taken of Brady in the Vegas coaching box wearing a headset. Technically, owners are allowed in the coaching box and on the sideline, and new Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has taken a hands-on approach to ownership this season, wearing a headset on the sidelines. However, given Brady’s position at FOX, questions over his and the league’s integrity swirled.
Although the Raiders could use all the help they could get, this unfair advantage puts at risk the integrity of the sport and league.
Last week, Brady called the Cowboys vs. Bears game on FOX’s 4:25 p.m. spot. So in the week leading up to kickoff, Brady was privy to production meetings with both the Cowboys and Bears. The Bears in Week 4 play Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders.
Former Raiders head coach (HC), Antonio Pierce, has even alleged that Brady shared “insights and observations” with the Raiders last season. And current offensive coordinator (OC), Chip Kelly admitted to regular conversations with Brady, however, he later clarified his statements that none of their conversations dealt with gameplanning, but offensive football broadly.
In his weekly newsletter, “Do Your Job,” Brady responded to critics, denying sharing insider information. Instead, he blamed others for being paranoid and untrusting.
Believe him or not, I’ll let you decide. For me, his track record of bending to rules and cheating, his vested interest in the Raiders, his appearance in the coaching box, communication with previous HC and current OC and his deflection and surprising lack of straight denial of these allegations calls into question Brady’s integrity.
Sunday’s narrow 25–24 Raiders loss could suggest Brady is keeping his two roles separate, or that his influence is the only thing keeping a struggling Vegas team competitive. The NFL faces a dilemma: enforce stricter conflict-of-interest rules or continue trusting one of the league’s most famous figures to police himself. For fans, the question remains, can Tom Brady ever truly escape controversy?
