Tom Brady’s post-retirement chapter has been anything but quiet. The seven-time Super Bowl champion is currently wearing two very different hats - one as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, the other as a lead NFL analyst for FOX Sports, where he signed a massive 10-year, $375 million deal back in 2022. But with the Raiders mired in one of their worst seasons in recent memory, there’s growing noise around the idea that Brady might be better off trading the broadcast booth for a front-office war room.
On Monday’s episode of First Take, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Raiders’ current state - and his suggestion for how to fix it.
The team is 2-12, riding an eight-game losing streak, and fresh off a 31-0 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith believes it’s time for Brady to step in and take a more hands-on role with the franchise he partially owns.
“They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” Smith said. “But the Raiders are so awful right now that the stench has circulated throughout the country. Every football city recognizes how awful they have been.”
Smith’s proposal? Put Brady in charge of football operations.
Hand him the keys. Let the most decorated quarterback in NFL history try to right the ship from the top down.
Of course, Smith acknowledged the obvious hurdle - Brady’s lucrative deal with FOX. “Not that you can, because he's not going to leave the job that he's got at Fox paying him over $37 million to run the damn Raiders.
He ain't stupid at all. But ask him anyways.
Figure out the Raiders. Because you need all the help you can get.”
And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that logic. The Raiders have been a mess this season.
Despite entering 2025 with renewed optimism under new head coach Pete Carroll, the on-field product has fallen flat. The offense ranks near the bottom of the league, averaging just 257.2 yards per game and managing only 21 touchdowns through 14 games.
That’s the kind of production that gets coordinators fired and quarterbacks benched. The defense has held up slightly better, sitting at 16th in total defense, but it hasn’t been nearly enough to offset the offensive woes.
The bigger question is whether Brady wants that kind of responsibility. Running football operations is a full-time grind - one that goes well beyond film study and game-day strategy.
It’s scouting, contracts, cap management, culture-building. It’s a different arena entirely.
But Brady’s competitive fire has never been in question, and his football IQ is as elite as they come. If anyone could make that leap, it’s him.
Still, don’t expect Brady to suit up again - even if the Raiders’ quarterback situation gets desperate. While 44-year-old Philip Rivers stunned the league by unretiring earlier this month to join the injury-riddled Indianapolis Colts, Brady made it clear during last Thursday’s NFL on FOX broadcast that his playing days are done.
“For Philip to do that - it’s good for him,” Brady said. “I’m happy he’s doing it.
I think the answer for me would be yes. I’m not allowed anymore, because I’m an owner, a minority owner of the Raiders.
So I can’t unretire. But I’m very excited to watch Philip play if he’s out there.
I think it’s just very cool.”
Rivers made his return in Sunday’s narrow 18-16 loss, completing 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. It was a gutsy performance, but it also underscored just how rare it is for a quarterback to step away from the game and then jump right back into the fire.
So while Brady’s cleats are staying on the shelf, his influence on the game - and potentially on the Raiders’ future - is far from over. Whether he’s breaking down coverages on FOX or helping shape a struggling franchise from the front office, Brady remains one of the most compelling figures in football.
The only question now is: how involved does he want to be in fixing the mess in Vegas? Because clearly, the Raiders could use all the help they can get.