NFL changes course on Tom Brady participation in team production meetings despite Raiders stake

The NFL gave Tom Brady the green light to participate in production meetings for Fox broadcasts, a significant reversal from restrictions placed on him last season.

The ruling, which was made public Tuesday, allows Brady, who is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, to be fully involved with his broadcast team.

Ari Meirov

@MySportsUpdate

The NFL will allow Tom Brady — FOX’s lead analyst and a minority owner of the #Raiders — to take part in production meetings with coaches and teams this season, per @AndrewMarchand. Brady was banned from doing so last year (aside from the Super Bowl). He’s still not expected to

Last year, the league’s ruling on Brady’s dual role as a broadcaster and team owner resulted in the “Brady Rules.” Those rules prevented him from being in weekly meetings with coaches and players, where critical parts of pregame plans are discussed.

Tom Brady's broadcast partner, Kevin Burkhardt, and the rest of the crew had to deliver that information to him secondhand. The NFL made an exception for the Super Bowl, which Brady broadcast.

Tom Brady will still face some restrictions

NFL: Washington Commanders at New England Patriots - Source: Imagn

The restrictions were a point of contention for some, including Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who was a vocal advocate for the regulations. The primary concern was that a rival AFC West owner could gain an unfair competitive advantage.

The process of Brady acquiring his ownership stake in the Raiders was lengthy, taking nearly 17 months to finalize.

Despite the change in meeting policy, Brady will still be prohibited from attending team practices.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion is gearing up for his second season in the broadcast booth. He recently reflected on his first year, acknowledging “growing pains” and saying there was nothing that could have prepared him for the experience. He added that he felt much more comfortable by the time of the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady's first game of the season will be on September 7, when the New York Giants face the Washington Commanders. Fox will also broadcast a major Week 2 matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch.

In June, Brady said his role as a Raiders minority owner is to be a "sounding board" and that he trusts coach Pete Carroll and manager John Spytek to make the right decisions.