Tom Brady’s retirement plans have taken an interesting turn.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion “is in deep discussions to become a limited partner of the Las Vegas Raiders,” ESPN reported Friday, citing sources.
Although talks on a potential deal have been ongoing “for weeks and could soon be reaching a resolution,” the matter was described as an “extremely sensitive and fluid negotiation,” the website reported.
Brady, who announced his second NFL retirement in February, would have no hand in running the Raiders, a source told the publication, noting the former quarterback will have a “passive” investment.
The news came roughly two months after Brady purchased a minority stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.
Both teams are owned by Mark Davis.
It has been a wild few months for Brady, who wrapped his 23rd and final NFL season in January.
He spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the Patriots, winning six championships, before taking his talents to the Buccaneers in March 2020.
Prior to joining Tampa Bay, however, Brady was apparently very close to joining the Raiders before the plan was allegedly thwarted by then-head coach Jon Gruden.
Former Raiders tight end Darren Waller addressed the long-circulating rumor in February, telling Forbes, “I’ve heard it from multiple sources that I respect and I’ve been close to.”
“They’re like, ‘Yeah, Brady to the Raiders was a lock,’ ” Waller said.
UFC president Dana White has also shed light on Brady’s apparent path to the Raiders.
During an August 2022 appearance on “UFC 278 with the Gronks,” White explained that Brady’s former teammate and friend, tight end Rob Gronkowski, was part of the alleged plans, too.
“I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders,” White said. “It was almost a done deal. At the last minute, Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn’t want them.”
At the time, Gruden was in his second coaching stint with the Raiders, with quarterback Derek Carr at the helm.
The 59-year-old Gruden resigned from the team in October 2021 after it was revealed he had used homophobic and misogynistic language in emails over the course of a seven-year period.
Gronkowski ultimately joined Brady with Tampa Bay, which won the Super Bowl in February 2021.
As for the Raiders, Brady’s former Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, is entering his second season as head coach.
McDaniels is now coaching a fellow New England alum, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed with Las Vegas in March during free agency.
Beyond Brady’s potential future with the Raiders, he is expected to enter the broadcast booth in 2024 as Fox Sports’ lead NFL announcer.
Buying into the Raiders would reportedly not affect his Fox deal.
He inked a monster 10-year, $375 million contract with the network last spring.
