Inside Tom Brady’s Las Vegas gamble as the NFL icon prepares to take the helm at the Raiders

In the Allegiant Stadium locker room, Jonah Laulu led Las Vegas in his own Christmas carol. It was the night of December 22, and according to head coach Antonio Pierce, it was “a long time ago.”

‘Rai-Ders!’ the defensive tackle sounded, before his teammates repeated the one-word battle cry. The most beautiful time of the year. And, as Pierce put it, “the best damn feeling in the world.”

How the mood had changed from a few days earlier, when the Falcons condemned Las Vegas to a tenth consecutive loss and all glimmers of holiday spirit had evaporated from the Raiders locker room.

That’s what one win can do, and Las Vegas hasn’t enjoyed that much lately. The victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 22 was only the third of the entire season for the Raiders. And the first since Tom Brady was confirmed as co-owner of the team.

However, there are two crumbs of comfort for the legendary quarterback: no team can be relegated from the NFL. And on this side of the pond, it can pay to lose.

So at least his first season as a football owner is guaranteed to end better than his introduction to football.

In the summer of 2023, the seven-time Super Bowl champion bought Birmingham City. He became a minority owner and then joined the fans in the bar. A few months later they moved down to the third tier of English football.

The Raiders were 2-4 when, in mid-October, his long-shot effort to join the Las Vegas ownership group was finally approved.

Since then? Antonio Pierce’s team is 1-8. They have a lot of talent, including DE Maxx Crosby and rookie tight end Brock Bowers. However, heading into their penultimate game against the Saints, the 3-12 Raiders are at the bottom of the AFC West.

The win over Jacksonville ended the NFL’s longest active losing streak. But it hurt the Raiders’ chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft — and made Brady’s job a little more difficult.

In England, the NFL legend owns just 3.3 percent of Birmingham and his role is largely ceremonial. He has no voting rights and no clear responsibilities other than attracting easy PR.

In Las Vegas, the 47-year-old’s stake is just 5 percent. But shortly before the Falcons came to town, Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed that Brady will have a “big say” in shaping the team’s future.

They speak all the time, with Davis recently praising Brady’s competitive spirit, his attention to detail and his communication.

Within half a decade, Brady is expected to be living in Las Vegas and running the football side of the franchise.

As someone put it to Mail Sport? “Tom has a loud voice in everything in this organization.” From the ‘toilet paper they buy’ to the players they acquire. Not many NFL legends have the ear of a billionaire like Brady has with Davis.

“It’s inspiring to see someone on your team as the GOAT,” cornerback Nate Hobbs told Mail Sport after the game. Kicker Daniel Carlson agreed.

“It’s great to have him as part of the property. (He has) a wealth of knowledge and on the player side he just knows how to win championships. So hopefully we can learn a lot from him.’

There’s one huge job at the top of Brady’s to-do list: helping select the team’s next quarterback. Aidan O’Connell, Desmond Ridder and Gardner Minshew all played under center for Las Vegas this season. No one has solidified their place as starter.

Where does the answer lie in a draft class headlined by Colorado standout Shedeur Sanders? Will Pierce be in charge of leading this team into the 2025 season? How will Brady’s $375 million broadcast deal with Fox impact his role? Those are some of the questions the NFL legend must ponder heading into the new year.

Two years ago, Brady would do that are the Raiders quarterback. At 45, he came very close to moving to Las Vegas after Derek Carr was let go.

“He was coming,” as one insider put it. But then the move hit a snag – through no fault of the Raiders – and soon the quarterback had retired.

The team ended up with Jimmy Garoppolo under center and now Brady in the front office.

But some decisions can’t wait that long. Not when the Raiders are in familiar territory and need a new quarterback.

Brady’s relationship with Shedeur Sanders dates back to the youngster’s high school years. And in 2022, before following his father to Colorado, the quarterback signed a NIL deal with Brady’s apparel brand.

Is it any wonder some feel the 47-year-old has “backed himself into a corner” heading into the 2025 draft? If the opportunity arises, how can Las Vegas not pick Sanders considering Brady’s relationship with the young quarterback, given Deion Sanders has publicly urged Pierce to draft both Shedeur and his brother Shilo as the fans now want him want?

Well, many within the NFL would be skeptical about whether the Colorado star is even worth a first-round pick. Especially if there are other quarterback prospects available, such as Cam Ward (Miami) and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon). It’s a “very difficult” balance for Brady to find.

Las Vegas also walks a tightrope with Pierce. It is said that the players ‘love’ the head coach, despite the team’s dismal record. There is mitigation, of course: This is Pierce’s first full season in charge and his roster has been decimated by injuries. The coach is also not responsible for his options at quarterback.

So Brady has to be careful. It was his longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who was fired by Las Vegas before Davis appointed Pierce. But even more important? Raiders fans hate the Patriots.

Brady was only in his second season when, in January 2002, the Raiders visited New England for the AFC Divisional playoff game. That day, during a snowstorm, the quarterback took advantage of — in the league’s own words — “one of the most controversial referee decisions in NFL history.”

With Oakland in the lead and the clock running out, Brady was sacked. He fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Raiders. But then the officials ruled the pass incomplete “because Brady’s arm moved forward before pulling the ball back to his body.” It was known as the ‘tuck rule’.

The Patriots went on to win in overtime before claiming their first of six Super Bowls under Bill Belichick. The tuck rule was abolished in 2013, but Raiders fans haven’t forgotten that day.

“Every time they tried to bring a Patriot guy here, it failed,” the insider said. And so the feeling among some NFL owners? If Brady fires a popular coach and signs a quarterback who doesn’t work, the fans will turn on him.

Of course, Davis supports his plan and his man. The owner visited the locker room after the win over the Jaguars. He wanted to congratulate his players after finally ending their skid.

“It’s been a pretty tough ten weeks,” punter AJ Cole told Mail Sport. Now it’s up to Davis and Brady to make sure they kick this habit for good.

“I know Mark is doing a great job of building a team around him that can help him figure out how to win some football games here,” Carlson said. “Because this loss sucks.”