Tom Brady’s divided loyalties between Fox Sports and the Las Vegas Raiders have created an untenable situation, according to veteran sportscaster Dan Patrick.
“It’s problematic when Tom tries to do both things,” the former SportsCenter host said on his podcast.
Brady is currently in the first year of a decade-long, $375 million deal with Fox Sports, where he serves as the network’s top color commentator.
Meanwhile, the seven-time Super Bowl champion was recently approved as a Raiders minority owner, prompting Brady to agree to some restrictions as an announcer to address concerns about his conflict of interest.
As ESPN first reported in August, Brady is not allowed to come to other practice facilities the week before games are called, depriving him of the opportunity to learn more about the teams and players he discusses on Sunday.
Tom Brady’s divided loyalties between Fox Sports and the Las Vegas Raiders have created an untenable situation, according to veteran sportscaster Dan Patrick (pictured)
Brady is currently in the first year of a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports
Brady can still do his own research, but he won’t get background interviews with coaches and players that ESPN describes as “the lifeblood of insight for the broadcast.”
“They will practice and gain a lot of insider knowledge,” Patrick told his audience this week. “Some coaches come out more, some quarterbacks come out more. But you have to make sure your announcer knows what’s going on.”
The problem, as Patrick sees it, is that Brady will likely still have this level of access somehow, regardless of the rules.
“Can he get that information? Yes, said Patrick. “But if you say, Tom Brady has to go into the locker room and tell Patrick Mahomes, ‘I’m curious about this,’ chances are Mahomes is going to tell Tom that.
“But he is not allowed to exchange or obtain information because he works for the Raiders,” Patrick continued. ‘Crazy. Problematic.’
As owner, Brady is also prohibited from publicly criticizing officials – a situation that has already occurred this season.
When Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was thrown for a tackle during Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers, Brady couldn’t help but criticize officials on the field and in the league office in New York for the ejection.
‘I don’t like that [ejection] no calling at all,” Brady said. “It’s obviously a penalty, but for me there has to be serious intentions in a match like this.”
Dan Patrick interviews Tom Brady after the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX victory in February 2015
The NFL has since issued a statement saying Brady did not cross the line. Instead, the association explained, he would have to be “extremely critical of the conduct” or “question the integrity of an official or the crew.”
And Patrick isn’t the only expert critical of Brady as a broadcaster.
Columnist, podcaster and sports media personality Skip Bayless compared Brady’s heralding career to the New York Giants’ struggling quarterback.
“As I’ve said a dozen gazillion times, Tom Brady was by far the best NFL player ever,” Bayless told his audience. ‘But as a TV analyst he is nothing other than Daniel Jones. I’m sorry, but Tom Brady drove me crazy during the Detroit-Green Bay game yesterday with his endless, giddy, obvious babble.
“He just talks and talks and talks about what is so clichédly obvious,” Bayless continued.
‘So little insight, so many words. So many close-ups.’